Effects of a multilevel dietary intervention in religious organizations.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined how to improve dietary habits of individuals from the general public.


METHODS
The Eating for a Healthy Life project was a randomized trial.


METHODS
The study was conducted among members of religious organizations (ROs).


METHODS
Participants were a sample of RO members.


METHODS
The intervention was a multilevel package, based on our previous experience, designed to lower fat and increase fruit and vegetable consumption.


METHODS
The Eating Behaviors Questionnaire was administered preintervention and postintervention, together with 24-hour food recalls in a randomly selected subset. Analysis. Linear mixed models were used to evaluate the study's intervention, incorporating the design effects of blocking, intraclass correlation within RO, and correlation between the preintervention and postintervention points.


RESULTS
Participants (n = 2175) reported significantly healthier dietary behaviors in intervention ROs at the 12-month follow-up period, compared to participants in the comparison ROs, for a fat scale change of .08 summary scale points and an adjusted intervention effect of .06 overall.


CONCLUSIONS
Dietary intervention through ROs is a positive and successful method of changing dietary habits.
Bowen
Deborah J
DJ
Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. dbowen@bu.edu
Beresford
Shirley A A
SA
Christensen
Catherine L
CL
Kuniyuki
Alan A
AA
McLerran
Dale
D
Feng
Ziding
Z
Hart
Alton
A
Tinker
Lesley
L
Campbell
Marci
M
Satia
Jessie
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult