Details:

Alternative Title:
Prev Chronic Dis
Personal Author:
Block, Gladys ; Block, Torin ; Wakimoto, Patricia ; Block, Clifford H.
Block, Gladys ; Block, Torin ; Wakimoto, Patricia ; Block, Clifford H. Less -
Description:
Introduction

Dietary fat and low fruit and vegetable intake are linked to many chronic diseases, and U.S. population intake does not meet recommendations. Interventions are needed that incorporate effective behavior-change principles and that can be delivered inexpensively to large segments of the population.

Methods

Employees at a corporate worksite were invited to participate in a program, delivered entirely by e-mail, to reduce dietary fat and increase fruit and vegetable intake. Behavior-change principles underlying the intervention included tailoring to the participant's dietary lifestyle, baseline assessment and feedback about dietary intake, family participation, and goal setting. Assessment, tailoring, and delivery was fully automated. The program was delivered weekly to participants' e-mail inboxes for 12 weeks. Each e-mail included information on nutrition or on the relationship between diet and health, dietary tips tailored to the individual, and small goals to try for the next week. In this nonrandomized pilot study, we assessed technical feasibility, acceptability to employees, improvement in Stage of Change, increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, and decrease in fat intake.

Results

Approximately one third (n = 84) of employees who were offered the 12-week program signed up for it, and satisfaction was high. There was significant improvement in Stage of Change: 74% of those not already at the top had forward movement (P <.001). In addition, results suggest significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption (0.73 times/day, P <.001) and significant decrease in intake of fat sources (-0.39 times/day, P < .001).

Conclusion

This inexpensive program is feasible and appears to be effective. A randomized controlled trial is needed.


Subject:
[+]
Adult
Consumer Satisfaction
Diet, Fat-Restricted
Electronic Mail
Feasibility Studies
Female
Food Habits
Fruit
Goals
Health Promotion
Humans
Intervention Studies
Life Style
Male
Middle Aged
Nutritional Sciences
Occupational Health
Reinforcement (Psychology)
Vegetables

Source:
Prev Chronic Dis. 2004; 1(4).
Document Type:
Journal Article
Collection(s):
Preventing Chronic Disease
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:de02bcdb3420d595805767f25dbb7cb28e7d9af42e4deba7c7ffd1a885378582
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	license.txt	txt
  	PCD14A06.nxml	txt
  	PCD14A06s1.gif	gif
  	PCD14A06s1.jpg	jpeg

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