Stages of change and psychosocial correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption among rural African-American church members.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the relationship between stages of change, other psychosocial factors, and fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among rural African-Americans participating in a 5 a Day study.


METHODS
The cross-sectional design assessed associations between F&V intake, stage of change, self-efficacy, beliefs, barriers, and social support.


METHODS
Participants were surveyed by telephone.


METHODS
Subjects were 3557 adult church members (response rate, 79.1%), aged 18 and over from 10 North Carolina counties.


METHODS
A seven-item food frequency measured F&V intake. Stage of change was measured using four items; other psychosocial variables were measured using Likert scales. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance were used in statistical analyses.


RESULTS
The majority of participants (65%) were in the preparation stage of change. Individuals in action/maintenance consumed an average of 6.5 daily F&V servings compared to 3.3 to 3.5 servings for those in precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation. Self-efficacy, social support, and belief about how many daily F&V servings are needed, were positively associated with stage. Barriers were most prevalent among precontemplators.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings support the applicability of the stages-of-change model to dietary change among rural African-Americans. The relationship between stage, self-efficacy, social support, and barriers supports using a multicomponent intervention strategy.
Campbell
M K
MK
Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599, USA.
Symons
M
M
Demark-Wahnefried
W
W
Polhamus
B
B
Bernhardt
J M
JM
McClelland
J W
JW
Washington
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D011897:Random Allocation; D012067:Religion; D012424:Rural Population; D012944:Social Support; D013689:Telephone; D014675:Vegetables