title: A randomized trial of a brief intervention to increase fruit and vegetable intake: a replication study among callers to the CIS.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Results are reported from a large randomized trial designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among callers to the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Information Service (CIS) (n = 1,717).
  
  
  METHODS
  CIS callers assigned to the intervention group (n = 861) 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 participants. Participants were interviewed by telephone at 4 weeks (n = 1,307), 4 months (n = 1,180), and 12 months for follow-up (n = 1,016).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results obtained from a single-item measure of fruit and vegetable consumption indicate a significant intervention effect of 0.88 servings per day at 4 weeks follow-up (P < 0.001), 0.63 servings per day at 4 months follow-up (P < 0.001), and 0.43 servings per day at 12 months follow-up (P < 0.001). Using a 7-item food frequency measure, an intervention effect of 0.63 servings per day was obtained at 4 weeks follow-up (P < 0.001), compared with 0.39 servings per day at 4 months follow-up (P = 0.002) and 0.44 servings per day at 12 months follow-up (P = 0.002). A 24-h recall assessment included in the 4-month interviews also yielded a significant intervention effect of 0.67 servings per day (P = 0.015). The vast majority of callers (90%) endorsed the strategy of providing 5 A Day information proactively within the CIS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This brief educational intervention was associated with higher levels of self-reported fruit and vegetable intake at both short- and long-term follow-up. Additional research is recommended to test this or a similar intervention in diverse populations.
authors.affiliation: AMC Cancer Research Center, Denver, Colorado 80214, USA.
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heimendinger
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fairclough
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rimer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morra
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Warnecke
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Himes
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Darrow
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Julesberg
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Slevin-Perocchia
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steelman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wooldridge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005638:Fruit; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007255:Information Services; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010174:Pamphlets; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D011177:Postal Service; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013689:Telephone; D014481:United States; D014675:Vegetables