Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption through worksites and families in the treatwell 5-a-day study.
OBJECTIVE
We report on the results of the Treatwell 5-a-Day study, a worksite intervention aimed at increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables.


METHODS
Twenty-two worksites were randomly assigned to 3 groups: (1) a minimal intervention control group, (2) a worksite intervention, and (3) a worksite-plus-family intervention. The interventions used community-organizing strategies and were structured to target multiple levels of influence, following a socioecological model. Data were collected by self-administered employee surveys before and after the intervention; the response rate was 87% (n = 1359) at baseline and 76% (n = 1306) at follow-up. A process tracking system was used to document intervention delivery.


RESULTS
After control for worksite, gender, education, occupation, race/ethnicity, and living situation, total fruit and vegetable intake increased by 19% in the worksite-plus-family group, 7% in the worksite intervention group and 0% in the control group (P = .05). These changes reflect a one half serving increase among workers in the worksite-plus-family group compared with the control group (P = .018).


CONCLUSIONS
The worksite-plus-family intervention was more successful in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption than was the worksite intervention. Worksite interventions involving family members appear to be a promising strategy for influencing workers' dietary habits.
Sorensen
G
G
Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Control, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA. glorian_sorensen@dfci.harvard.edu
Stoddard
A
A
Peterson
K
K
Cohen
N
N
Hunt
M K
MK
Stein
E
E
Palombo
R
R
Lederman
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D004032:Diet; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005638:Fruit; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables; D017132:Workplace