Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among callers to the CIS: results from a randomized trial.
BACKGROUND
Results are reported from a large randomized trial designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among callers to the Cancer Information Service (CIS).


METHODS
CIS callers assigned to the intervention group received a brief proactive educational intervention over the telephone at the end of usual service, with two follow-up mailouts. Key educational messages and print material derived from the NCI 5 A Day for Better Health program were provided to intervention subjects. Subjects were interviewed by telephone at both 4-week (n = 1,672) and 4-month (n = 1,286) follow-up.


RESULTS
A single-item measure of fruit and vegetable consumption revealed a significant intervention effect of approximately 0.65 servings per day at 4-week follow-up (P < 0.001) and 0.41 servings per day at 4-month follow-up (P < 0.001). Using a seven-item food frequency measure that was also included in the 4-month interviews, a similar intervention effect of 0.34 servings per day was obtained (P = 0.006). The vast majority of CIS callers (88%) endorsed the strategy of providing 5 A Day information proactively.


CONCLUSIONS
A brief educational intervention delivered to CIS callers at the end of usual service was associated with an increase in self-reported fruit and vegetable intake.
Marcus
A C
AC
AMC Cancer Research Center, Denver, Colorado, 80214, USA.
Heimendinger
J
J
Wolfe
P
P
Rimer
B K
BK
Morra
M
M
Cox
D
D
Lang
P J
PJ
Stengle
W
W
Van Herle
M P
MP
Wagner
D
D
Fairclough
D
D
Hamilton
L
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013689:Telephone; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables