Dietary change for cardiovascular disease prevention among Black-American families

A center-based cardiovascular disease prevention program was conducted as a feasibility study to lower sodium and saturated fat in the diets of Black-American families with fifth through seventh grade children in one southwest city. Ninety-six families were actively recruited and randomly assigned to experimental or control groups. The experimental group was encouraged to attend 14 consecutive weeks of education sessions at a central facility.Social learning, social support and adult education theories guided the design of sessions which emphasized active, participatory learning. A 2-week food frequency questionnaire and 24-h dietary recall were measures of the dependent variables. Behavioral capability and self-efficacy for dietary change were also assessed. A post-program, formative evaluation interview was conducted with one adult per family in the experimental group. Program participants reported less frequent consumption of high sodium foods (especially for boys). Low rates of attendance were recorded after the fourth week of the program. Participants reported that attendance was impeded by conflicts with work and school and a dislike for completing dietary self-monitoring forms. Future efforts to reach healthy Black-American adults should integrate such a program into other on-going community activities and avoid intensive diet self-monitoring procedures.