Perspectives on the application of CONSORT guidelines to randomised controlled trials in nutrition

Rigutto-Farebrother J 1 , Ahles S 2 , Cade J 3 , Murphy KJ 4 , Plat J 2 , Schwingshackl L 5 Show all authors , Roche HM 6 , Shyam S 7 , Lachat C 8 , Minihane AM 9 , Weaver C 10

Affiliations 

  • 1 Human Nutrition Laboratory, Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. [email protected]
  • 2 Department of Nutrition and Movement Sciences, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (NUTRIM), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  • 3 Nutritional Epidemiology Group, School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
  • 4 Clinical and Health Sciences, Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
  • 5 Institute for Evidence in Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
  • 6 Nutrigenomics Research Group, UCD Conway Institute, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
  • 7 Centre for Translational Research, Institute for Research, Development, and Innovation (IRDI), International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 8 Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
  • 9 Nutrition and Preventive Medicine, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, UK
  • 10 School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
Eur J Nutr, 2023 Aug;62(5):2319-2332.
PMID: 37099211 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-023-03137-5

Abstract

PURPOSE: Reporting guidelines facilitate quality and completeness in research reporting. The CONsolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement is widely applied to dietary and nutrition trials but has no extension specific to nutrition. Evidence suggests poor reporting in nutrition research. The Federation of European Nutrition Societies led an initiative to make recommendations for a nutrition extension to the CONSORT statement towards a more robust reporting of the evidence base.

METHODS: An international working group was formed of nutrition researchers from 14 institutions in 12 different countries and on five continents. Using meetings over a period of one year, we interrogated the CONSORT statement specifically for its application to report nutrition trials.

RESULTS: We provide a total of 28 new nutrition-specific recommendations or emphasised recommendations for the reporting of the introduction (three), methods (twelve), results (five) and discussion (eight). We also added two additional recommendations that were not allocated under the standard CONSORT headings.

CONCLUSION: We identify a need to provide guidance in addition to CONSORT to improve the quality and consistency of the reporting and propose key considerations for further development of formal guidelines for the reporting of nutrition trials. Readers are encouraged to engage in this process, provide comments and conduct specific studies to inform further work on the development of reporting guidelines for nutrition trials.

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

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