This study proposes to use a community-based intervention program to modify eating behavior according to recommendations for reducing dietary-related cancer risks. Two similar rural Minnesota communities (with specified population, media, grocery-store, health and extension service characteristics), one serving as an education site, the other as reference, will be compared. Existing community-based strategies, procedures, and materials will be adapted to encompass diet and cancer risk recommendations, and consist of a) a grocery-store intervention using product-labeling, taste-testing, incentive programs, and print and visual education materials; b) an eight-week intensive home-based education program; c) a 12-month maintenance program; d) a mass media information program throughout; e) involvement of the Minnesota Extension Service and Minnesota Department of Health and trained volunteers under their supervision; and f) involvement of grocery store managerial and regular staff. Themes, focus, and message strategies will be established through a social marketing planning process using a community survey, and focus group interviews. Intervention effectiveness will be evaluated using comparisons both between the education and reference communities, and within the education community to establish whether different program """"""""doses"""""""" are associated with corresponding differences in effects. Dietary knowledge, attitudes, and behavior will be used as outcome measures and will be compared at baseline, at mid-intervention, and at post- intervention. In addition, the study design permits measurements of effects due to self-selection. Finally, a cost-effectiveness evaluation is a crucial part of this proposal to evaluate the feasibility of broad dissemination.
| Finnegan Jr, J R; Rooney, B; Viswanath, K et al. (1992) Process evaluation of a home-based program to reduce diet-related cancer risk: the ""WIN at Home Series"". Health Educ Q 19:233-48 |
