title: A nutrition and exercise intervention program for controlling weight in Samoan communities in New Zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To promote weight loss in Samoan church communities through an exercise program and nutrition education.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quasi-experimental design was used to assess weight change, over 1 y, in cohorts of people aged 20-77 y from three non-randomised Samoan church communities (two intervention, n=365 and one control, n=106) in Auckland, New Zealand. The intervention churches received aerobics sessions and nutrition education about dietary fat.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline body mass index for the intervention and control churches was (mean+/-s.e.) 34.8+/-0.4 and 34.3+/-0.9 kg/m(2), respectively. The intervention churches lost an average of 0.4+/-0.3 kg compared to a 1.3+/-0.6 kg weight gain in the control church (P=0.039, adjusted for confounders). The number of people who were vigorously active increased by 10% in the intervention churches compared to a 5% decline in the control church (P=0.007). Nutrition education had little apparent impact on knowledge or behaviour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Samoan communities in New Zealand are very obese and have high rates of annual weight gain. A community-based intervention program arrested this weight gain in the short term.
authors: Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Bell
authors: B A
authors: BA
authors: Swinburn
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Amosa
authors: R K
authors: RK
authors: Scragg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D014905:Independent State of Samoa / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*