title: Effects of a multilevel dietary intervention in religious organizations.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA. dbowen@bu.edu
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bowen
authors.forename: Shirley A A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Beresford
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Alan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kuniyuki
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McLerran
authors.forename: Ziding
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Alton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tinker
authors.forename: Marci
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Jessie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Satia
mesh_terms: 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