SisterTalk is a five-year grant funded by the National Cancer Institute to develop, deliver and evaluate a weight control program for Black women in Boston via "live" cable television. In the first phase of the project, we conducted extensive qualitative research to determine how to design the intervention program so that it was culturally appropriate. The intervention includes 12 weekly hour-long shows broadcast live on a "pay-per-view" cable TV channel and then four monthly booster shows mailed to the participants on video. Participants also receive accompanying written materials in the mail. Black nutritionists, exercise physiologists and social workers present the TV intervention, which focuses on nutrition education, physical activity and behavior modification. A total of 451 Black women enrolled in the SisterTalk study. The effectiveness of the intervention is being tested using a 2x2 factorial design with a fifth wait-list comparison group. The intervention factors being tested are: active or passive participation (ability to participate in the live broadcasts by telephone/studio audience, or not); and social support or no support (receive weekly problem solving calls from community outreach educators, or not). Measures of dietary intake, physical activity, anthropometrics and psychosocial variables were conducted at baseline, and are being repeated 3 months, 8 months and 1 year later. This presentation will discuss the baseline characteristics of the SisterTalk participants with an emphasis on the dietary variables, including a food habits questionnaire, portion size measurement tool, stage of readiness to change diet, fruit and vegetable intake, and emotional eating and overeating scales.
Learning Objectives: This presentation will discuss the baseline characteristics of the SisterTalk participants with an emphasis on the dietary variables, including a food habits questionnaire, portion size measurement tool, stage of readiness to change diet, fruit and vegetable intake, and emotional eating and overeating scales.
Keywords: Weight Management, Women's Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.