title: The effects of interval length between sessions in a hypercholesterolemia education class.
abstract: This study focused on the effects of different intervals between sessions of a hypercholesterolemia education class on post-intervention outcomes. The same comprehensive group-programme contents on hypercholesterolemia were delivered either monthly (for 6 months) or twice-monthly (for 3 months) by the same teaching professionals in a community setting. The twice-monthly programme included 46 participants (male/female = 7/39, average age: 65.8 years)and the monthly programme consisted of 48(male/female = 9/39, age: 66.4). At the beginning of the study, all subjects belonged to the 'contemplation' stage of diet and exercise habits within the Transtheoretical Model of Change. The stage-matched intervention helped many participants move to the 'action ' stage by 6 months after the last session, especially in the twice-monthly group. The change rate of exercise from the 'contemplation' stage to the 'action' stage was significantly higher in the twice-monthly group (76.1 percent) than in the monthly (54.2 percent ). In both monthly and twice-monthly formats, participants' satisfaction and understanding levels at the end of the programme were high, but were significantly higher in the twice-monthly group. Through favorable lifestyles and higher levels of satisfaction and learning, the twice-monthly format may produce more positive results in cholesterol management than the monthly format, as the shorter period of time makes the programme more intensive.
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Administration and Promotion, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan. kakotani@grape.med.tottori-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotani
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saiga
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakane
authors.forename: Youichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurozawa
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000628:therapy*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D013997:Time Factors