TABLE 1.
Baseline Description of Participants Enrolled in an Online Intervention to Improve Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, by Study Arm: Making Effective Nutritional Choices (MENU) Study, 2005–2006
| Variable | Total (n = 2513) | Arm 1 (n = 836) | Arm 2 (n = 839) | Arm 3 (n = 838) |
| Age, y, mean (SD); median | 46.3 (10.8); 48.0 | 46.1 (10.6); 47.0 | 46.5 (10.8); 48.0 | 46.4 (10.9); 47.0 |
| Female, no. (%) | 1729 (69) | 576 (69) | 577 (69) | 576 (69) |
| African American, no. (%) | 585 (24) | 192 (23) | 196 (24) | 197 (24) |
| Hispanic, no. (%) | 192 (8) | 69 (8) | 66 (8) | 57 (7) |
| Married or with partner, no. (%) | 1805 (72) | 595 (72) | 602 (72) | 609 (73) |
| Education, no. (%) | ||||
| High school education or less | 217 (9) | 76 (9) | 70 (8) | 71 (9) |
| Associate degree or some college | 1023 (41) | 334 (40) | 352 (42) | 337 (40) |
| College degree | 659 (26) | 219 (26) | 232 (28) | 208 (25) |
| Postbachelor education | 607 (24) | 205 (25) | 183 (22) | 219 (26) |
| Stage of change | ||||
| Fruit, no. (%) | ||||
| Precontemplation | 49 (2) | 17 (2) | 14 (2) | 18 (2) |
| Contemplation | 1247 (50) | 412 (49) | 421 (50) | 414 (49) |
| Preparation | 511 (20) | 164 (20) | 175 (21) | 172 (21) |
| Action | 170 (7) | 54 (6) | 61 (7) | 55 (7) |
| Maintenance | 533 (21) | 189 (23) | 166 (20) | 178 (21) |
| Vegetable, no. (%) | ||||
| Precontemplation | 40 (2) | 11 (1) | 17 (2) | 12 (1) |
| Contemplation | 1547 (62) | 519 (62) | 523 (62) | 505 (60) |
| Preparation | 389 (15) | 128 (15) | 124 (15) | 137 (16) |
| Action | 104 (4) | 35 (4) | 35 (4) | 34 (4) |
| Maintenance | 430 (17) | 143 (17) | 138 (16) | 149 (18) |
| Fruit and vegetable servings/day,a16-item measure,b mean (SD); median | 4.4 (2.8); 3.8 | 4.6 (3.0); 3.9 | 4.2 (2.7); 3.6 | 4.5 (2.7); 4.0 |
| Fruits and vegetables servings/day,2-item measure,c mean (SD); median | 3.3 (1.6); 3.0 | 3.3 (1.6); 3.0 | 3.2 (1.6); 3.0 | 3.4 (1.6); 3.0 |
Note. Arm 1 was the control, arm 2 was a tailored behavioral intervention, and arm 3 was a tailored behavioral intervention plus motivational interviewing via e-mail.
By the Kruskal–Wallis test, the intake levels by arm were statistically significantly different (P = .049).
A 16-item fruit and vegetable food frequency questionnaire developed by the National Cancer Institute that queried frequency and portion size over the past month.
A short, 2-item measure that included 1 question each asking about total servings of fruits and of vegetables consumed on a typical day.