Multiple risk factor intervention a useful tool for promotion of healthy eating among a community sample of women; the results of a clinical trial with five years of follow up

Objective: Multiple risk factor interventions (MRFI) are within the key strategies for health promotion in the community. The current randomized clinical trial aimed to test the effect of a tailored MRFI program for promotion of healthy eating in a community sample of women who were at risk of cardiovascular disease. Methods: Healthy Hearts for Women (HHW) was a randomized clinical trial which allocated 400 women at risk of cardiovascular disease into the following two groups. Intervention (n=200, 84% Caucasian) and Control (n=200, 77% Caucasian) groups. Intervention group received tailored coaching, motivational interviewing and health communication for five years. We used Rate Your Plate (higher score = healthier eating) to measure eating pattern at baseline, 6th month, 12th month, and then annually for the next 4 years. We used latent growth curve modeling for determining the effect of intervention on linear and nonlinear trajectory of change of eating behavior. Results: The intervention group showed a significantly larger linear slope but a smaller quadratic coefficient for Rate Your Plate score during the 5 years of follow up period. By other means, intervention was associated with an improvement in healthy eating behavior. Conclusions: Based on our findings, multiple risk factor interventions can be used to promote healthy eating of women in the community setting. Such interventions may be an effective tool in the hand of policy makers who wish to prevent cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes through promotion of healthy eating.