This project will develop and test the effectiveness of a touchscreen, computer-assisted intervention program for reducing diet-related cancer risk at a time when patients are sensitive to cancer prevention. We recently completed a similar clinical trial for diabetic patients and found significant reductions of dietary fat and serum cholesterol at 3 and 12 months. This interactive, video- and computer-based intervention uses a touchscreen format with branching paths related to individual patient characteristics. Patients receive only the intervention procedures appropriate and of interest to them. At the end of the session, patients receive personalized written material to help them follow through with dietary changes. In the proposed study this intervention will be modified for the general population of women aged 40-70 with the goals of reducing dietary fat and increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables. This intervention will be designed for use in primary care medical offices and will require only minimal stuff training. Automated programs of this type offer the potential of a relatively low-cost intervention appropriate for routine medical care. The resulting intervention program will be tested in a randomized clinical trial. Participants will be recruited when they come to an HMO radiology clinic for a routine screening mammogram, a strategy designed to build on their heightened interest in cancer prevention at that time. Women who agree to participate in the study (n=680) will visit a research clinic twice for baseline assessment and intervention. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either the interactive dietary intervention or a parallel intervention focused on increasing the frequency of breast self- examination. Both intervention programs will include two research clinic visits, three follow-up calls, and a monthly newsletter. Follow-up data will be collected at 3 and 12 months and primary outcomes will include self-reported dietary intake, serum cholesterol, and serum carotenoids.
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