1.
LA sprouts randomized controlled nutrition and gardening program reduces obesity and metabolic risk in Latino youth.
Gatto, NM, Martinez, LC, Spruijt-Metz, D, Davis, JN
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2015;(6):1244-51
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of a 12-week gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention ("LA Sprouts") on dietary intake, obesity parameters, and metabolic disease risk among low-income, primarily Hispanic/Latino youth in Los Angeles. METHODS The randomized controlled trial involved four elementary schools [two schools randomized to intervention (172 third-through fifth-grade students); two schools randomized to control (147 third-through fifth-grade students)]. Classes were taught in 90-minute sessions once a week to each grade level for 12 weeks. Data collected at pre- and postintervention included dietary intake via food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), anthropometric measures [BMI, waist circumference (WC)], body fat, and fasting blood samples. RESULTS LA Sprouts participants had significantly greater reductions in BMI z-scores (0.1-vs. 0.04-point decrease, respectively; P = 0.01) and WC (-1.2 cm vs. no change; P < 0.001). Fewer LA Sprouts participants had the metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) after the intervention than before, while the number of controls with MetSyn increased. LA Sprouts participants had improvements in dietary fiber intake (+3.5% vs. -15.5%; P = 0.04) and less decreases in vegetable intake (-3.6% vs. -26.4%; P = 0.04). Change in fruit intake before and after the intervention did not significantly differ between LA Sprouts and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS LA Sprouts was effective in reducing obesity and metabolic risk.
2.
The effects of a transtheoretical model-based exercise stage-matched intervention on exercise behavior in patients with coronary heart disease: a randomized controlled trial.
Zhu, LX, Ho, SC, Sit, JW, He, HG
Patient education and counseling. 2014;(3):384-92
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether a transtheoretical model-based exercise stage-matched intervention (ESMI) has positive effects on the exercise behavior of sedentary patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS The study was a randomized controlled trial with a repeated measures design. Participants (N=196) were randomly allocated to either a conventional (C) group, a patient education (PE) group, or an ESMI group. Exercise behavior was measured by exercise stages of change, exercise self-efficacy, exercise decisional balance, and duration of moderate exercise at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS Our results showed that the ESMI group demonstrated a more positive shift in exercise stages of change (p<0.01), higher exercise self-efficacy (p<0.01), greater exercise benefits (p<0.01), fewer exercise barriers (p<0.01), and longer moderate exercise duration (minutes/week) (p<0.01) after completion of the 8-week intervention compared with the C and PE groups. These significantly positive effects were maintained at 3- and 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION The transtheoretical model-based ESMI had significantly positive effects on the exercise behavior of sedentary CHD patients. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS It is important to provide a structured education program for CHD patients, preferably guided by the transtheoretical model.