A Proof-of-Concept Pilot Test of a Behavioral Intervention to Improve Adherence to Dietary Recommendations for Cancer Prevention

Overview

Journal Cancer Control

Specialty Oncology

Date 2023 Nov 11

PMID 37950612

Authors

Meghan L Butryn

Charlotte J Hagerman

Nicole T Crane

Marny M Ehmann

Evan M Forman

Brandy-Joe Milliron

Nicole L Simone

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Prevention programs that can help adults improve the quality of their diets to reduce cancer risk are needed. This Phase IIa study prospectively tested a mHealth intervention designed to improve adherence to dietary quality guidelines for cancer prevention.

Methods: All participants (N = 62) received nutrition education and a self-regulation skills curriculum, with a primary target of changing grocery shopping behavior. Using a randomized, factorial design, the study varied whether each of the following 4 components were added to the 20-week intervention: (1) location-triggered app messaging, delivered when individuals arrived at grocery stores, (2) reflections on benefits of change, delivered with extra coaching time and tailored app messages, (3) coach monitoring, in which food purchases were digitally monitored by a coach, and (4) involvement of a household member in the intervention.

Results: Benchmarks were successfully met for recruitment, retention, and treatment acceptability. Across conditions, there were significant reductions in highly processed food intake ( < .001, η = .48), red and processed meat intake ( < .001, η = .20), and sugar-sweetened beverage intake ( = .008, η = .13) from pre-to post-treatment. Analyses examining whether each intervention component influenced change across time found that participants who received coach monitoring increased their intake of fruits, vegetables, and fiber, whereas those with no coach monitoring had less improvement ( = .01, η = .14). The improvement in red and processed meat was stronger among participants with household support ON, at a marginally significant level, than those with household support OFF ( = .056, η = .07).

Conclusion: This study showed feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary signals of efficacy of a remotely delivered intervention to facilitate adherence to dietary guidelines for cancer prevention and that coach monitoring and household support may be especially effective strategies. A fully powered clinical trial is warranted to test an optimized version of the intervention that includes nutrition education, self-regulation skills training, coach monitoring, and household member involvement.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04947150.

Citing Articles

A Pilot Study of a Novel Dietary Intervention Targeting Ultra-Processed Food Intake.

Hagerman C, Hong A, Jennings E, Butryn M Obes Sci Pract. 2024; 10(6):e70029.

PMID: 39654611 PMC: 11625872. DOI: 10.1002/osp4.70029.

The Role of Household Social Support and Undermining in Dietary Change.

Ehmann M, Hagerman C, Milliron B, Butryn M Int J Behav Med. 2024; .

PMID: 39436592 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-024-10327-w.

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