Effects of a Multilevel Dietary Intervention in Religious Organizations

Abstract

Purpose.This study examined how to improve dietary habits of individuals from the general public.Design.The Eating for a Healthy Life project was a randomized trial.Setting.The study was conducted among members of religious organizations (ROs).Subjects.Participants were a sample of RO members.Intervention.The intervention was a multilevel package, based on our previous experience, designed to lower fat and increase fruit and vegetable consumption.Measures.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.Conclusion.Dietary intervention through ROs is a positive and successful method of changing dietary habits.