ERIC Number: EJ1222184
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Aug
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1090-1981
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Is There a Spillover Effect of Targeted Dietary Change on Untargeted Health Behaviors? Evidence from a Dietary Modification Trial
Sarma, Elizabeth A.; Moyer, Anne; Messina, Catherine R.; Laroche, Helena H.; Snetselaar, Linda; Van Horn, Linda; Lane, Dorothy S.
Health Education & Behavior, v46 n4 p569-581 Aug 2019
Background: The gateway behavior hypothesis posits that change in a health behavior targeted for modification may promote positive changes in other untargeted health behaviors; however, previous studies have shown inconsistent results. Aims: To examine the patterns and predictors of change in untargeted health behaviors in a large health behavior change trial. Method: Using repeated-measures latent class analysis, this study explored patterns of change in untargeted physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking behavior during the first year of the Women's Health Initiative dietary modification trial that targeted total fat reduction to 20% kcal and targeted increased fruit and vegetable intake. Participants were healthy postmenopausal women who were randomly assigned to either the low-fat dietary change intervention (n = 8,193) or a control (n = 12,187) arm. Results: Although there were increases in untargeted physical activity and decreases in alcohol consumption and smoking in the first year, these changes were not consistently associated with study arm. Moreover, although the results of the repeated-measures latent class analysis identified three unique subgroups of participants with similar patterns of untargeted health behaviors, none of the subgroups showed substantial change in the probability of engagement in any of the behaviors over 1 year, and the study arms had nearly identical latent class solutions. Discussion and Conclusion: These findings suggest that the dietary intervention did not act as a gateway behavior for change in the untargeted behaviors and that researchers interested in changing multiple health behaviors may need to deliberately target additional behaviors.
Descriptors: Health Behavior, Health Promotion, Behavior Change, Physical Activity Level, Drinking, Smoking, Females, Eating Habits, Dietetics, Older Adults, Intervention
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: HHSN268201100046C; HHSN268201100001C; HHSN268201100002C; HHSN268201100003C; HHSN268201100004C; HHSN271201100004C
Author Affiliations: N/A