title: Multiple behavior change among church members taking part in the faith, activity, and nutrition program.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the extent to which participants in a combined physical activity (PA) and dietary intervention achieved changes in multiple health behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group randomized trial; includes only participants assigned to the intervention group only.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six churches in South Carolina.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred sixty African American church members.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 15-month PA and dietary intervention, guided by the structural ecological model, targeting environmental (i.e., social, cultural, physical) and organizational (ie, policies, practices) changes within the church.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reported PA, fruit and vegetable consumption, fat-, and fiber-related behaviors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Change in each behavior was defined as unadjusted pretest-posttest improvement ≥ 0.20 of the baseline standard deviation. The total number and each combination of behaviors changed were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Up to 19% changed no health behaviors as defined above, 31% changed 1 health behavior, 31% changed 2 health behaviors, 13% changed 3 health behaviors, and 5% changed all 4 of the targeted health behaviors. Combinations of multiple behavior change included PA and dietary behaviors, which suggests that both behaviors can be changed simultaneously.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly half of participants changed at least 2 health behaviors. Faith-based interventions targeting environmental and organizational change can successfully change multiple behaviors, potentially leading to greater improvements in public health.
authors.affiliation: Public Health Research Center, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. Electronic address: stritesk@mailbox.sc.edu.
authors.forename: Meghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baruth
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D033303:Protestantism; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D013022:South Carolina
keywords: African Americans; diet; faith-based; multiple behavior change; physical activity