title: The "Rolling Store:" an economical and environmental approach to the prevention of weight gain in African American women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the feasibility of the "Rolling Store," an innovative food-delivery intervention, along with a nutrition education program to increase the consumption of healthy foods (fruits and vegetables) to prevent weight gain in African American women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty eligible African American women were enrolled in the study and randomized to intervention or control groups. A trained peer educator and a Rolling Store operator implemented the study protocol at a local community center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The program retention rate was 93%. Participants in the intervention group lost a mean weight of 2.0 kg, while participants in the control group gained a mean weight of 1.1 kg at six months. Overall participants showed a mean decrease in weight of -.4 kg (standard deviation 3.0 kg), but the intervention group lost significantly more weight and had a decreased body mass index at six months. In the intervention group, the average number of servings consumed per day of fruits/ fruit juice and vegetables significantly increased at six months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Rolling Store, at least on the small scale on which it was implemented, is a feasible approach to producing weight loss and improvements in healthy eating when combined with an educational program in a small community center.
authors.affiliation: The Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Rd, PO Box 80025, Baton Rouge, LA 70898, USA. Betty.Kennedy@pbrc.edu
authors.forename: Betty M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Catherine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Champagne
authors.forename: Donna H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Newton
authors.forename: Beverly K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Conish
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Harsha
authors.forename: Erma J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Margaret L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bogle