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. 1997 Dec;87(12):1971–1976. doi: 10.2105/ajph.87.12.1971

The Stanford Nutrition Action Program: a dietary fat intervention for low-literacy adults.

B Howard-Pitney 1, M A Winkleby 1, C L Albright 1, B Bruce 1, S P Fortmann 1
PMCID: PMC1381239  PMID: 9431286

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to test the effectiveness of the Stanford Nutrition Action Program, an experimental trial to reduce dietary fat intake among low-literacy, low-income adults. METHODS: Twenty-four paired adult education classes (351 participants, 85% women, mean age = 31 years) were randomly assigned to receive a newly developed dietary fat curriculum (the Stanford Nutrition Action Program) or an existing general nutrition curriculum. Food frequency and nutrition-related data, body mass index, and capillary blood cholesterol were collected at baseline and at two postintervention follow-ups. RESULTS: The Stanford Nutrition Action Program classes showed significantly greater net improvements in nutrition knowledge (+7.7), attitudes (/0.2), and self-efficacy (-0.2) than the general nutrition classes; they also showed significantly greater reductions in the percentage of calories from total (-2.3%) and saturated (-0.9%) fat. There were no significant differences in body mass index or blood cholesterol. All positive intervention effects were maintained for 3 months postintervention. CONCLUSIONS: The Stanford Nutrition Action Program curriculum, tailored to the cultural, economic, and learning needs of low-literacy, low-income adults, was significantly more effective in achieving fat-related nutritional changes than the general nutrition curriculum.

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Selected References

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