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Biomedical subjects

K Sabina Smith

Publications and source records attributed to K Sabina Smith.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

One-year results from a brief, computer-assisted intervention to decrease consumption of fat and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables.

BACKGROUND: Current cancer prevention recommendations include reducing consumption of fat and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables. METHODS: Healthy women health maintenance organization members (n = 616) ages 40-70 were randomly assigned to either a nutrition intervention or a control intervention unrelated to diet. Intervention included two 45-min counseling sessions plus two brief follow-up telephone contacts. Counseling sessions included a 20-min, interactive, computer-based intervention using a touch-screen format. Intervention goals were reducing dietary fat and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. Outcome measures included a food frequency questionnaire and the Fat and Fiber Behavior Questionnaire (FFBQ). Total serum cholesterol was also measured at baseline and 12 months. RESULTS: Twelve-month follow-up data showed improvements on all dietary outcome variables. Compared to the control, intervention participants reported significantly less fat consumption (3.75 points less for percentage of energy from fat), significantly greater consumption of fruit and vegetables combined (0.93 more servings per day), and a significant reduction in a behavioral measure of fat consumption (0.20 point change in the FFBQ). Group differences in total serum cholesterol, while in the desired direction, were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: In appropriate circumstances, moderate-intensity dietary interventions can show significant effects for periods of at least 1 year.

Adult↗

Screening HMO women overdue for both mammograms and pap tests.

BACKGROUND: Regular screening has the potential to reduce breast and cervical cancer mortality, but despite health plan programs to encourage screening, many women remain unscreened. Tailored communications have been identified as a promising approach to promote mammography and Pap test screening. METHODS: The study used a four-group randomized design to compare with Usual Care the separate and combined effects of two tailored, motivational interventions to increase screening-a clinical office In-reach intervention and a sequential letter/telephone Outreach intervention. Subjects were 510 female HMO members ages 52-69 who had had no mammogram in the past 2 years and no Pap smear in the past 3 years. Primary outcomes were the percentage of women in each condition who received a mammogram, a Pap smear, or both screening tests during the 14-month study period. RESULTS: Thirty-two percent of the Combined group, 39% of the Outreach group, and 26% of the In-reach group obtained both services versus 19% of Usual Care participants. Overall, compared with Usual Care, both Outreach (P = 0.006) and Combined (P = 0.05) screened significantly more women. For subjects ages 65-69, Outreach rates were lower than those of Usual Care. CONCLUSION: A tailored letter-telephone Outreach appears to be more effective at screening women ages 52-64 than a tailored office-based intervention, in large part because most In-reach women did not have clinic visits at which to receive the intervention.

Aged↗

Randomized trial of a brief dietary intervention to decrease consumption of fat and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables.

PURPOSE: This study tested the efficacy of a computer-assisted counseling intervention to reduce diet-related cancer risk. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS: Healthy women HMO members (n = 616) aged 40 to 70. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to nutrition intervention or an attention-control intervention unrelated to diet. Intervention consisted of two 45-minute counseling sessions plus two 5- to 10-minute follow-up telephone contacts. Counseling sessions included a 20-minute, interactive, computer-based intervention using a touchscreen format. Intervention goals were reducing dietary fat and increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. MEASURES: Twenty-four hour diet recalls and the Fat and Fiber Behavior Questionnaire (FFB). RESULTS: Four-month follow-up data were collected from 94% of the intervention participants and 91% of the controls. Testing with a multivariate general linear models analysis showed improvements on all dietary outcome variables. Compared to the control, intervention participants reported significantly less fat consumption (2.35 percentage points less for percentage of energy from fat), significantly greater consumption of fruit and vegetables combined (1.04 servings per day), and a significant reduction in a behavioral measure of fat consumption (.24 point change in the FFB). CONCLUSIONS: These 4-month results are comparable to several other moderate-intensity studies showing that, in the appropriate circumstances, moderate-intensity dietary interventions can be efficacious. Study limitations include the short follow-up period and the use of self-reported outcome measures.

Adult↗