Process Evaluation of an Effective Church-Based Diet Intervention: Body & Soul

¹ Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
² Comprehensive Cancer Center and School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
³ UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
⁴ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
⁵ Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Marci_Campbell{at}unc.edu.

	Abstract

Body & Soul has demonstrated effectiveness as a dietary intervention among African American church members. The process evaluation assessed relationships between program exposure and implementation factors and study outcomes and characterized factors important for adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Data sources included participant surveys and qualitative interviews with program staff, church liaisons, and volunteer advisors who conducted motivational interviewing (MI) calls. Outcomes included changes in dietary intake and psychosocial variables. Process variables included program exposure, participation, and dose and perceptions about MI calls. Results showed that attendance at project events, receiving educational materials, and self-reported quality of the MI calls were associated with significantly (p < .05) greater fruit and vegetable intake, decreased fat consumption, and other secondary outcomes. Interviews indicated implementation and sustainability issues and needs including more training to enhance MI implementation as well as ongoing support and resources. The results have implications for future dissemination efforts of Body & Soul.

Key Words: minority health, health promotion, dietary intervention, motivational interviewing, cancer prevention

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