Sunday, April 3, 2005
Rosewood (Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza)
Session: 1195, Prevention: Beliefs and Interventions, 9:30 AM

Healthy Eating Outcomes of a Tailored Intervention Among Midlife and Older Rural Women

Carol Pullen, BSN, MSN, EdD, Assistant Dean1, Susan Noble Walker, EdD, RN, FAAN, Professor2, Linda S. Boeckner, PhD, RD, Professor3, Patricia A. Hageman, PhD, PT, Professor4, and Maureen K. Oberdorfer, MPA, BSMT, Project Coordinator2. (1) College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68122, (2) College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985330 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5330, (3) Research and Extension Center, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 4502 Avenue I, Scottsbluff, NE 69361-4939, (4) Division of Physical Therapy Education, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 984420 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4420

Purpose: Poor diet is among the leading causes of morbidity and premature mortality in older women. The purpose of the study was to determine if theory-based tailored newsletters were more effective than generic newsletters in changing eating behaviors among rural midlife and older women. Conceptual Framework: The intervention was framed within the Health Promotion Model (Pender, 2002). Eating behavior as recommended in the Healthy People 2010 Objectives was studied. Subjects: 225 women aged 50-69 recruited by random digit dialing from two geographically separate communities. Methods: At two rural sites in the midwestern U.S., women were supervised in responding to established reliable and valid questionnaires on a computer. Eating behaviors were measured by the Block Health Habit and History Questionnaire. An assessment of eating biomarkers by the research nurse included lipids, body mass index, and % body fat measured by bioimpedance analysis. The intervention consisted of 18 computer-generated tailored newsletters for the experimental group and 18 generic newsletters for the comparison group over a 12 month period. Newsletters were sent every two weeks for six months and then monthly for the next six months. Results and Conclusions: RM ANOVAs found significant (.035 - .001) time effects at baseline, 6 & 12 months for all behavioral markers except daily dairy servings and for the biomarkers of LDL-C and BMI. Significant (<.05) time x group effects were found for daily fruit and vegetable servings and % calories from saturated fats. Significant decreases from baseline to 12 months were found for both groups for LDL-C; the tailored group had increases in fruit and vegetables servings and decreases in % calories from fat and saturated fat. Percentage of change will be reported. Both tailored and generic newsletters influenced eating behaviors and biomarkers; tailored newsletters had a greater influence over time for some measures.

Funded by NINR Grant No. R01 NR04861

Session #1195 - Prevention: Beliefs and Interventions

The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)