Performance Nutrition for Residents and Fellows
Study Details
Study Description
Brief Summary
Currently, residents commonly experience dehydration and poor nutrition during nighttime duty hours as a result of heavy work load, lack of time to take nutrition and hydration breaks, or limited or no access to healthy food and drinks which may affect residents' work performance. The goal of this study is to compare the effects of two different meal compositions with no typical dietary practices (existing conditions) on work performance of the on-call residents during night shifts.
Condition or Disease | Intervention/Treatment | Phase |
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N/A |
Detailed Description
The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of dietary modifications on resident physicians' work performance during night shifts.
Specific objectives are:
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To assess the effects of macronutrient composition of the test meals on cognitive performance, self-reported sleepiness and fatigue of resident physicians during night-time duty.
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To compare to no intervention, the effects of providing meals before 22:00 hours, and only providing chewing gum, tea, coffee and water onwards to on-call residents, on cognitive performance, self-reported sleepiness and fatigue of resident physicians during night-time duty.
Study Design
Arms and Interventions
Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
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Experimental: Dietary Modification On the first night of the study, participants can eat and drink as they normally would (no dietary intervention). On second and third nights participants will be provided meals, snacks and drinks with specific macronutrient composition, encouraged to only eat and drink study meals, snacks and drinks, and to avoid eating after 10:00 hours. The composition of the study foods and drinks on nights 2 and 3 will be different. |
Other: Dietary Modification
Participants will be provided with meals, snacks and drinks with specific macronutrient compositions and encouraged to only eat and drink study meals, snacks and drinks and to avoid eating after 10:00 hours.
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Outcome Measures
Primary Outcome Measures
- Difference in Motor Praxis scores between conditions [Two time points (beginning and end of night shifts) on each night for a total of 3 nights]
Motor Praxis is a validated neurocognitive test that assesses sensory-motor speed. This test takes approximately 30 seconds to complete and will be measured at two time points (beginning and end of each night shift) in each of the 3 conditions . Differences in accuracy (percentage of correct responses, a higher percentage is better), duration (in milliseconds, lower duration is better), reaction time (in milliseconds, lower reaction time is better) and composite scores (0-1000, higher score is better) will be reported and compared.
- Difference in Fractal 2-Back between conditions [Two time points (beginning and end of night shifts) on each night for a total of 3 nights]
Fractal 2-Back is a validated neurocognitive test that assess working memory. This test takes approximately 2 minutes to complete and will be measured at two time points (beginning and end of each night shift) in each of the 3 conditions. Differences in reaction time (in milliseconds, lower reaction time is better) , accuracy (percentage of correct responses, a higher percentage is better) and composite scores (0-1000, higher score is better) will be reported and compared.
- Difference in Balloon Analog Risk between conditions [Two time points (beginning and end of night shifts) on each night for a total of 3 nights]
Balloon Analog Risk is a validated neurocognitive test that assess risk decision making. This test takes approximately 2 minutes to complete and will be measured at two time points (beginning and end of each night shift) in each of the 3 conditions. Differences in risk propensity (higher scores indicative of greater risk-taking propensity), duration (in milliseconds, lower reaction time is better) and composite scores (0-1000, higher score is better) will be reported and compared.
- Difference in Psychomotor vigilance test between conditions [Two time points (beginning and end of night shifts) on each night for a total of 3 nights]
Psychomotor vigilance test is a validated neurocognitive test that assess vigilant attention. This test takes approximately 3 minutes to complete will be measured at two time points (beginning and end of each night shift) in each of the 3 conditions. Differences in reaction time (in milliseconds, lower reaction time is better), lapses (number, less is better) and composite scores measured (0-1000, higher score is better) will be reported and compared.
Secondary Outcome Measures
- Difference in Degree of sleepiness between conditions [Two time points (beginning and end of night shifts) on each night for a total of 3 nights]
Will use validated Stanford Sleepiness Scale (SSS) developed by William C. Dement, M.D., Ph.D. SSS a self-rating scale used to quantify progressive steps in sleepiness at a certain point in time. It is a seven-point Likert-type scale ranging from "feeling active, vital alert, or wide awake" (score = 1) to "no longer fighting sleep, sleep onset soon and having dream-like thoughts" (score = 7). Selected scores by the participants will be reported each time. This test takes approximately 15 seconds to complete. Differences in degree of sleepiness measured at two time points (beginning and end of each night shift) in each of the 3 conditions will be reported and compared.
Other Outcome Measures
- Difference in Work Exhaustion between conditions [Two time points (beginning and end of night shifts) on each night for a total of 3 nights]
Work Exhaustion scale, developed and modified by Mickey Trockel MD, PhD, to explore the degree of work related fatigue in residents and fellows. It has 4 questions with a 5 point Likert scale ranging from not at all to extremely. This test takes approximately 30 second to complete. The total score is the average scores of the 4 items and falls between 0 and 4. Scores equal to higher than 1.33 indicate work-related fatigue. Differences in Work Exhaustion scores measured at two time points (beginning and end of each night shift) in each of the 3 conditions will be reported and compared.
Eligibility Criteria
Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
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All residents and fellows performing in hospital overnight work
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Must be able to eat plant source foods (e.g. soy, nuts, seeds) and animal source foods (e.g. meat, eggs, dairy products)
Exclusion Criteria:
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Food allergies or sensitivities
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Prior anaphylactic reaction to food
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Strict dietary restrictions (e.g. vegan, gluten free)
Contacts and Locations
Locations
Site | City | State | Country | Postal Code | |
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1 | Stanford University | Stanford | California | United States | 94305 |
Sponsors and Collaborators
- Stanford University
- American Medical Association
Investigators
- Principal Investigator: Tait D Shanafelt, MD, Stanford University
Study Documents (Full-Text)
None provided.More Information
Additional Information:
Publications
- Attuquayefio T, Stevenson RJ, Oaten MJ, Francis HM. A four-day Western-style dietary intervention causes reductions in hippocampal-dependent learning and memory and interoceptive sensitivity. PLoS One. 2017 Feb 23;12(2):e0172645. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172645. eCollection 2017.
- El-Sharkawy AM, Bragg D, Watson P, Neal K, Sahota O, Maughan RJ, Lobo DN. Hydration amongst nurses and doctors on-call (the HANDS on prospective cohort study). Clin Nutr. 2016 Aug;35(4):935-42. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2015.07.007. Epub 2015 Jul 16.
- Grant CL, Dorrian J, Coates AM, Pajcin M, Kennaway DJ, Wittert GA, Heilbronn LK, Vedova CD, Gupta CC, Banks S. The impact of meal timing on performance, sleepiness, gastric upset, and hunger during simulated night shift. Ind Health. 2017 Oct 7;55(5):423-436. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.2017-0047. Epub 2017 Jul 25.
- Gupta CC, Dorrian J, Grant CL, Pajcin M, Coates AM, Kennaway DJ, Wittert GA, Heilbronn LK, Della Vedova CB, Banks S. It's not just what you eat but when: The impact of eating a meal during simulated shift work on driving performance. Chronobiol Int. 2017;34(1):66-77. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2016.1237520. Epub 2016 Oct 13.
- Hamidi MS, Boggild MK, Cheung AM. Running on empty: a review of nutrition and physicians' well-being. Postgrad Med J. 2016 Aug;92(1090):478-81. doi: 10.1136/postgradmedj-2016-134131. Epub 2016 May 23. Review.
- Paech GM, Banks S, Pajcin M, Grant C, Johnson K, Kamimori GH, Vedova CB. Caffeine administration at night during extended wakefulness effectively mitigates performance impairment but not subjective assessments of fatigue and sleepiness. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2016 Jun;145:27-32. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2016.03.011. Epub 2016 Apr 7.
- Reyner LA, Wells SJ, Mortlock V, Horne JA. 'Post-lunch' sleepiness during prolonged, monotonous driving - effects of meal size. Physiol Behav. 2012 Feb 28;105(4):1088-91. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.11.025. Epub 2011 Dec 6.
- Rimmer A. Urgent action is needed to manage doctors' fatigue, says BMA. BMJ. 2018 Jan 9;360:k127. doi: 10.1136/bmj.k127.
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