Results from a pilot intervention to improve home nutrition environments in rural families

Research on home environments suggests both social and physical aspects of the environment influence eating behavior. Few interventions, however, have attempted to promote healthy eating in adults by targeting the home environment. The Emory Prevention Research Center, in collaboration with community partners in rural southwest Georgia, designed and pilot tested an intervention that used local residents trained as coaches to promote five healthy actions to make the home more supportive of healthy eating. The intervention consisted of a tailored home environment profile, goal-setting and behavioral contracting provided in two home visits and two telephone coaching calls over a six week period. Participants were recruited by local staff through a variety of local outlets such as libraries, businesses, health departments and word of mouth. Primary participants (mean age=53) lived in one of three rural counties (two treatment and one control), lived with at least one other adult, and had lived in the area for at least five years. At three months post-baseline, families (n=66) reported more healthy foods and fewer unhealthy foods and beverages in the home, healthier food preparation methods, fewer meals and snacks with the TV on, and more frequent purchasing of healthier foods relative to comparison families (n=36). No changes were found for fruit and vegetable intake or fat intake. Results suggest that coaching, combined with a focus on the home environment may be a promising strategy, but it may take longer than a few months for changes in home food environments to influence eating habits.