The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #67060

Shirley A.A. Beresford, PhD¹, Beti Thompson, PhD², Ruth E Patterson, PhD², Dale F. McLerran, MS², and Sonia K Bishop². (1) Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Box 357236, Seattle, WA 98195-7236, 206-543-9512, beresfrd@u.washington.edu, (2) Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

The adoption of healthful diets, especially those high in fruits and vegetables, continues to be challenging among individuals of low socioeconomic status. Determinants of dietary behavior change in this group are not well understood. In the Seattle 5 a Day studies, we recruited 44 manufacturing, transportation and service worksites to participate in a group randomized trial to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among employees. The intervention, conducted in 22 of the worksites, was developed in partnership with employee advisory boards in each company, and included information campaigns, self-help manuals, newsletters tailored to individuals, taste tests, and food events at the worksite. The most common barriers to eating more fruits and vegetables reported at baseline were not being able to get into the habit, not usually having them around the house, only eating them in season and being too lazy to prepare them. A significantly higher proportion, about 33%, of the younger respondents reported disliking the taste of some cooked vegetables, compared to 23% of those aged 50 years and over. The proportion of respondents liking meat more than vegetables was also higher among the young, as well as among those with fewer years of education, current smokers, Hispanic employees and men. In response to the second intervention tailored newsletter, 70% of responders reported increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables over baseline consumption. Sociobehavioral determinants of behavior change in the entire cohort over the two-year study period will also be presented.

Learning Objectives:

• List two determinants of how much fruit and vegetables are liked.
• List three characteristics associated with successful behavioral change in worksites.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition, Behavior Modification

Related Web page: www.fhcrc.org/phs/cprp/projects/5aday.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.