Long-term fruit and vegetable change in worksites: Seattle 5 a Day follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate long-term change in fruit and vegetable intake following a group randomized trial of worksites.


METHODS
Medium-sized blue-collar businesses in the Seattle metropolitan area were recruited. Intake was assessed using serial cross-sectional samples of current workforce at 3 time points. The multilevel 18-month intervention involved partnership with the companies. Long-term follow-up was at 4.4 years postbaseline. Statistical analysis used general linear models, adjusting for worksite random effects.


RESULTS
Initially, 45 worksites were randomized, with 29 agreeing to participate in a new study. Fruits and vegetable intake increased, with larger sustained changes in the intervention worksites, resulting in a long-term differential change of 0.25 servings per day, 95% confidence interval (0.09 to 0.40).


CONCLUSIONS
Intervention sustained small effects at 4 years, including 2 years with no contact. Although effects were not large, this low-intensity intervention approach could provide an important public health model.
Beresford
Shirley A A
SA
Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, USA. beresfrd@u.washington.edu
Thompson
Beti
B
Bishop
Sonia
S
Macintyre
Jessica
J
McLerran
Dale
D
Yasui
Yutaka
Y
D000328:Adult; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000379:methods; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014675:Vegetables; D017132:Workplace