Abstract
Objective: This study tested whether an intervention that combined information with self-regulation strategies had a better effect on eating fruits and vegetables than an information-only intervention. Design: Women between age 30 and 50 (N = 255) participated in a 24-month randomized controlled trial comparing two brief interventions: All participants received the same information intervention; participants in the information plus self-regulation group additionally learned a self-regulation technique that integrates mental contrasting with implementation intentions. Main outcome measures: Participants reported in daily diaries how many servings of fruits and vegetables they ate per day during 1 week at baseline, and in the first week, 1, 2, 4, and 24 months after intervention. Results: Participants in both groups ate more fruits and vegetables (0.47 to 1.00 daily servings) than at baseline during the first 4 months after intervention. Two years later, participants in the information plus self-regulation group maintained the higher intake, whereas participants in the information group returned to baseline levels. Conclusion: Adding self-regulation training to an information intervention increased its effectiveness for long-term behavior change.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 274-283 |
Number of pages | 10 |
Journal | Health Psychology |
Volume | 29 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2010 |
Keywords
- behavior change
- fruits and vegetables
- implementation intentions
- mental contrasting
- randomized controlled trial
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health