Delphi survey to gather feedback on a CONSORT extension proposal for nutrition intervention trials

William A 1 , Lachat C 1 , Ahles S 2 , Murphy KJ 3 , Minihane AM 4 , Weaver C 5 Show all authors , Shyam S 6 , Rigutto-Farebrother J 7 , On behalf of the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) Working Groups on Improving Standards in the Science of Nutrition.

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
  • 2 Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, Institute of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  • 3 Clinical and Health Sciences & Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity University of South Australia, P.O. Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia
  • 4 Nutrition and Preventive Medicine, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK
  • 5 School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
  • 6 Centre for Translational Research, Institute for Research, Development, and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 7 Laboratory of Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics, Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, LFV A44, Schmelzbergstrasse 7, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland. Jessica.Rigutto@hest.ethz.ch
Eur J Nutr, 2025 Feb 01;64(2):76.
PMID: 39891676 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-024-03561-1

Abstract

PURPOSE: Inadequate reporting of nutrition data can hinder the success of nutrition health policies. CONSORT provides guidance for reporting of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and is required by most journals today, yet reporting of nutrition interventions may benefit from a more tailored approach. A Federation of European Nutrition Societies working group was created to improve quality and completeness of reporting of nutrition trials, and our work to date features a proposal for a CONSORT extension specific to nutrition RCTs. The present manuscript describes a Delphi survey conducted to gather opinion from a wider panel of nutrition and health experts and related interest-holders on our proposal.

METHODS: We invited 138 potentially eligible participants to take part in the Delphi survey from a representative spread of expertise and geography. We employed a Likert scale with comments for our 32-item proposal in round 1, and a dichotomous scale with comments for our 29-item proposal in round 2. Threshold for agreement was set at ≥ 80% for both rounds.

RESULTS: Forty-seven potentially eligible participants responded to our invitation, 38 completed the first round and 36 completed the second. N = 23 (72%) items achieved ≥ 80% in round 1, and 100% of items in round 2. Three items were dropped or merged following round 1. A third Delphi round was not required to obtain consensus.

CONCLUSIONS: This Delphi expert consensus proposes a 29-item checklist specific to the reporting of nutrition RCTs and will inform further development of guidance through forthcoming consensus meetings.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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