Research Proposal: RTEC's Effects on Nutritional & Health Outcomes

This research proposal explores the impact of ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) on various health outcomes, focusing on cognition, body weight, and intestinal health. The study aims to determine if RTEC consumption positively influences these factors through a randomized controlled trial involving adults aged 25-60. Participants will be divided into intervention and control groups, with the intervention group consuming RTEC daily. Data collection will involve measuring cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight, height, faecal pH, intestinal habits, and cognitive performance using standardized methods and questionnaires. Ethical considerations, including informed consent and privacy, are addressed. The proposal outlines the use of SPSS for data analysis and acknowledges limitations related to purposive sampling and lack of blinding. The ultimate goal is to assess the potential benefits of RTEC consumption on overall health and well-being.

Running head: PART B
Research Proposal
Name of the Student
Student ID
Systematic review- Effects of Ready-to-Eat-Cereals on Key Nutritional and Health
Outcomes: A Systematic Review
Name of the University
Word Count- 1266
Author Note

1PART B
Introduction- Ready-to-eat cereals refer to breakfast cereals that are made from
processed cereal grains and are often consumed in the form of breakfast in Western countries.
These RTEC most often comprise of yogurt, fruits and milk, as well. In other words, RTEC
are defined as major cereal foods that have been processed to an extent that they can be easily
consumed without any preparation (1). These food products usually contain corn flakes and
extruded cereals, in addition to cereal bars, oatmeal and muesli. Furthermore, RETC have
often been categorized into food groups that manifest a longer shelf life and are inherently
stable. Previous evidences have established the fact that companionship and convenience play
an important role in reducing meal skips and also enhance the consumption of cereals (2).
Rationale- There is mounting evidence for the fact that eating breakfast helps in
improving the micro- and macro-nutrient intake among people, when compared to skipping
breakfasts. RETC also reduce the risks of gain in weight. However, there is inadequate
evidence for their role in enhancing cognitive performance. Breakfast cereals are considered
as the primary component of a perfectly balanced breakfast. These breakfast cereals include
cooked cereals, porridge type of foods, RETC and/or cold breakfast (3). Requirement of
healthy food and an awareness among the consumers has subsequently resulted in an increase
in the overall demand for grains like rice, oats, and corn. The global demand for RETC is
governed by the custom, habit, or faith of the buyers. The markets for RETC have huge
growth potential (4).
Research question- Does RETC consumption improve the cognition, body weight
and intestinal health among participants?
Research hypothesis- RETC will produce a positive impact on the body weight,
cognitive skill and intestinal health.
Research objectives-

2PART B
i. Evaluating the effects of RETC consumption on cognition
ii. Evaluating the impacts of RETC consumption on body weight
iii. Assessing the effects of RETC consumption on intestinal health
Reflection- The feedback for Part A of the assignment was taken into consideration by
formulating an appropriate research question. This was facilitated by a thorough and
extensive study of the systematic review that established a correlation between ready-to-eat
cereals with the major health and nutritional outcomes among the consumers. Owing to the
fact that the feedback stated that accurate gaps in the literature were not identified, I tried to
investigate the benefits of RETC. Conducting an RCT, in place of a secondary research will
help me find answers to the research question.
Data collection- Adults belonging to the age group of 25-60 years will be recruited for
the study. Participant enrolment process will begin by distributing templates and pamphlets at
university, hospitals, healthcare clinics and community centres across the district. The
inclusion criteria for the study would be those adults who are at a borderline for overweight
and have been diagnosed with cholesterol levels, higher than the normal range. The subjects
will also be excluded based on history of diabetes, cancer or renal disease. Furthermore,
participants who will report loss of more than 5 kg weight in the past two months will be
excluded. Use of any cholesterol medications will also be considered as an exclusion criteria.
Following obtaining informed consent from all participants, after they are contacted over
telephone to explain the purpose and adverse effects of the study, they will be randomised
into two different groups. At least 50 participants will be selected by purposive sampling for
the same (5).
The intervention group will be made to consume RETC daily during breakfast for a time
period of eight weeks, and the control group will continue their normal dietary habits for the

3PART B
same time period. Following a wash out period of four weeks, there will occur a cross-over,
and the trial will continue for the following eight weeks. Both the groups will be asked to
adhere to normal diet during the time of wash out. The RETC meals that will be given to the
intervention group will comprise of cornflakes and museli (60 gm), sprouted gain cereal (30
gm), along with skimmed milk (6). Fat-free yoghurt would also be added to the diet on
alternate days. All the participants will be asked to maintain a food journal during the entire
study. Adequate training will be provided to the participants for maintaining this record, and
the process shall be facilitated by nursing professionals.
The high-density, low-density and serum cholesterol levels will be measured and
recorded every weekend. Blood pressure shall be measured every day, with an automated
sphygmomanometer, and will be noted down. Standardised methods will be used for
assessing the weight and height of the patients every fortnight. pH electrodes will be used to
measure faecal pH (7). Self-administered questionnaires on intestinal habits, defecations
patterns and faecal consistency will be disseminated to all the participants. A sequence of
computerized tasks based on standard psychometric measures will be used to determine the
cognition levels. JAVA language will be used to program the tasks and the Bond–Lader
mood scale will also be administered to the participants for assessing impact of RETC on
cognition (8).
Ethical issues- A major ethical consideration that needs to be taken into consideration for
the study is prior approval from the Institution Ethics Committee Board. Written informed
consent shall be obtained from all participating adult. The participants will be ensured that
their privacy and confidentiality will be safeguarded and no personal information shall be
disclosed to any other person. Before conducting the trial, presence of equilibrium must be
ensured, to gain a deeper understanding of the fact that one course of intervention is superior
over another (9). Participants enrolled in both the groups should be provided the opportunity

4PART B
of obtaining enhanced health outcomes. The trial must be aimed at providing maximum
benefits, with reduced or no risks. No kinds of therapeutic misconception must be present
among the participants.
Analysis- The SPSS version 21.0 will be used for determining the body weight, blood
pressure, serum lipid levels, before and after the trial among both the groups. A t-test will
also be conducted for determining the differences between the two groups, before the trial
began. The population ratio method will also be employed for deriving the sum of the impact
of the dietary components on each participant.
Strength and Limitation- The primary strength of the research proposal lies in the
fact that elevated levels of cholesterol have been found to play a major role in the onset and
manifestation of hypertension and cardiovascular complications. The role of cholesterol
reduction on the overall health and wellbeing of all people have been proved time and again.
This study will develop a correlation between consumption of RETC and the cholesterol
levels, thus unravelling its impact on associated comorbid conditions. Some of the major
limitations of the study are linked to the purposive sampling procedure and the failure to
blind the participants and the healthcare staff to the purpose of the trial. Purposive sampling
might contribute to researcher bias. Lack of blinding might also influence the questionnaire
responses (10).
Conclusion- Thus, it can be concluded that the proposal discussed above will be
conducted with the objective of determining the benefits of eating ready-to-eat cereals and its
direct impact on health outcomes and subjective wellbeing of a target population. Consuming
RETC foods helps in preparing and eating breakfast within a short time span of 10-15
minutes. Furthermore, they are much easier to prepare and are widely available. Considering
the fact that RETC breakfasts are more convenient and nutritious, the trial will help in

5PART B
effectively assessing whether these food products exert any influence on the body weight,
cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.

6PART B
References
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and of extrusion process parameters on dietary fibre content, starch transformation
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Food Science & Technology. 2015 Jun;50(6):1504-14.
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M, et al. Consumption of ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) among Malaysian children and
association with socio-demographics and nutrient intakes–findings from the
MyBreakfast study. Food & nutrition research. 2017 Jan 1;61(1):1304692.
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(RTE) Cereals Increases Consumption of Key Food Groups and Nutrients among US
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4) Vargas SS, O’neil CE, Keast DR, Cho SS, Nicklas TA. Eating Ready-to-Eat Cereal
for Breakfast is Positively Associated With Daily Nutrient Intake, but Not Weight, in
Mexican-American Children and Adolescents: National Health and Nutrition
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6) Michels N, De Henauw S, Breidenassel C, Censi L, Cuenca-Garcí M, Gonzalez-Gross
M, et al. European adolescent ready-to-eat-cereal (RTEC) consumers have a healthier
dietary intake and body composition compared with non-RTEC consumers. European
journal of nutrition. 2015 Jun 1;54(4):653-64.

7PART B
7) Rebello CJ, Johnson WD, Martin CK, Han H, Chu YF, Bordenave N, et al. Instant
oatmeal increases satiety and reduces energy intake compared to a ready-to-eat oat-
based breakfast cereal: a randomized crossover trial. Journal of the American College
of Nutrition. 2016 Jan 2;35(1):41-9.
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Grains, and Health: Impact of Minerals, Phytochemicals, Specific Grain-Based Foods,
and Dietary Patterns on Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, and
Parkinson's Disease. Cereal Foods World. 2017 May;62(3):104-14.
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John Wiley & Sons; 2015 Nov 23.
10) Hróbjartsson A, Emanuelsson F, Skou Thomsen AS, Hilden J, Brorson S. Bias due to
lack of patient blinding in clinical trials. A systematic review of trials randomizing
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