Improving diet and physical activity with ALIVE: a worksite randomized trial.
BACKGROUND
Healthy diets and regular physical activity confer many health benefits, but the prevalence of these behaviors is relatively low.


BACKGROUND
Cost-effective strategies are needed to increase healthy eating and physical activity in the population.


METHODS
An RCT, conducted in 2006, of a 16-week e-mail program offered individually tailored, small-step goals; a personal homepage with tips; educational materials; and tracking and simulation tools.


METHODS
Seven hundred eighty-seven employees in the administrative offices of a large healthcare organization volunteered to participate.


METHODS
Changes were self-reported for total physical activity; moderate physical activity (MPA); vigorous physical activity (VPA); walking; sedentary behavior; and intake of fruits and vegetables, saturated and trans fats, and added sugars in the intervention group compared to the control group.


RESULTS
In intent-to-treat analyses (conducted in 2007 and 2008) that set change in nonresponders to the follow-up questionnaire to zero, the intervention group reported increases of 28.0 minutes/week (min/wk) of MPA (SE=7.4, p=0.0002); 12.5 min/wk of VPA (SE=5.7, p=0.03); and 21.5 min/wk of walking (SE=5.5, p=0.0003) relative to the control group. Intake of both saturated and trans fats (grams/day [g/day]) declined (beta=-0.95, SE=0.36, p=0.01; beta=-0.29, SE=0.12, p=0.02, respectively). The consumption of fruits and vegetables increased significantly (p=0.03), and the consumption of added sugars decreased marginally (p=0.08). The largest changes were in participants who did not meet behavioral recommendations at baseline (increase of 55.4 min/wk of MPA and decrease of 1.15 g/day of trans fats, relative to the control group). Differences between the intervention and control groups were still observed 4 months after the intervention ended.


CONCLUSIONS
ALIVE is an effective program for achieving significant improvement in diet and physical activity.


BACKGROUND
NCT00607009.
Sternfeld
Barbara
B
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente, Oakland, California 94612, USA. bxs@dor.kaiser.org
Block
Clifford
C
Quesenberry
Charles P
CP
Block
Torin J
TJ
Husson
Gail
G
Norris
Jean C
JC
Nelson
Melissa
M
Block
Gladys
G
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D034742:Electronic Mail; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009786:Occupational Health Services; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables; D017132:Workplace
D004041:Dietary Fats; D019422:Dietary Sucrose