Psychosocial factors and intervention-associated changes in those factors as correlates of change in fruit and vegetable consumption in the Maryland WIC 5 A Day Promotion Program.
This study sought to examine: (a) the relative effects of baseline demographic and psychosocial factors and an intensive nutritional intervention on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption in low-income, ethnically diverse women served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program in Maryland; (b) whether this intervention, designed to modify psychosocial factors associated with fruit and vegetable consumption, was successful in changing these factors; and (c) whether changes in these factors were associated with increased consumption. The same women from 15 WIC program sites were surveyed at baseline and postintervention 8 months later. Women randomized to the intervention group showed significantly greater mean change in self-efficacy, attitudes, social support, and knowledge of national consumption recommendations than control group women. Changes in all psychosocial factors were significantly associated with nutrition session attendance and increased consumption. In a hierarchical model, changes in these factors accounted for most of the intervention effect on increased consumption.
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 660 West Redwood Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
P
P
Langenberg
M
M
Ballesteros
R
R
Feldman
D
D
Damron
J
J
Anliker
S
S
Havas
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006285:Health Planning / Q000639:trends*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008396:Maryland; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011897:Random Allocation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables