Alton Hart, MD, MPH, Cancer Prevention Research Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, MP-826, Seattle, WA 98109-1024, 206.667.6405, ahart@fhcrc.org and Deborah Bowen, PhD, Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue N, MP 900, Seattle, WA 98109.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a process evaluation of the parent study, Eating for a Healthy Life, that included an advisory board and interpersonal support volunteers as components of a package to change healthy eating activities in religious organizations (ROs). METHODS: We conducted a randomized trial where the RO was the unit of randomization. Religious organizations were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=20) or delayed control group (n=20). The Eating for a Healthy Life Study involved a 9-month dietary intervention that included advisory boards and interpersonal support volunteers, social activities, healthy eating sessions, motivational messages, and dietary change messages. This dietary intervention produced significanly healthier behaviors for fruit/vegetable and fat consumption among RO members. RESULTS: The primary outcome measures for the process evaluation were RO member participation in advisory board meetings, volunteer activities, healthy eating sessions, and social activities. Other outcomes included the number of dietary change mailings and motivational messages delivered to RO members. There were 83 advisory board meetings during the intervention period. We recruited 122 volunteers for interpersonal support. There were 166 eating-related social activities and 81 healthy eating sessions held in the intervention ROs. The interventions were exposed to 188 motivational messages and 80 dietary change mailings. CONCLUSION: Involving RO members in the planning of intervention events appears important for conducting a successful dietary intervention in religious organizations.

Learning Objectives: