Steptoe, Andrew, Perkins-Porras, Linda, McKay, Catherine, Rink, Elisabeth, Hilton, Sean and Cappuccio, Francesco (2003) Behavioural counselling to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in low income adults : randomised trial. BMJ, Vol.326 (No.7394). doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7394.855

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Abstract

Objective To measure the effect of brief behavioural
counselling in general practice on patients’
consumption of fruit and vegetables in adults from a
low income population.
Design Parallel group randomised controlled trial.
Setting Primary health centre in a deprived, ethnically
mixed inner city area.
Participants 271 patients aged 18-70 years without
serious illness.
Intervention Brief individual behavioural counselling
based on the stage of change model; time matched
nutrition education counselling.
Main outcome measures Self reported number of
portions of fruit and vegetables eaten per day, plasma
β carotene, α tocopherol, and ascorbic acid
concentrations, and 24 hour urinary potassium
excretion. Assessment at baseline, eight weeks, and 12
months.
Results Consumption of fruit and vegetables
increased from baseline to 12 months by 1.5 and 0.9
portions per day in the behavioural and nutrition
groups (mean difference 0.6 portions, 95% confidence
interval 0.1 to 1.1). The proportion of participants
eating five or more portions a day increased by 42%
and 27% in the two groups (mean difference 15%, 3%
to 28%). Plasma β carotene and α tocopherol
concentrations increased in both groups, but the rise
in β carotene was greater in the behavioural group
(mean difference 0.16 μmol/l, 0.001 μmol/l to 1.34
μmol/l). There were no changes in plasma ascorbic
acid concentrations or urinary potassium excretion.
Differences were maintained when analysis was
restricted to the 177 participants with incomes
≤ £400 (€596, $640) a week.
Conclusions Brief individual counselling in primary
care can elicit sustained increases in consumption of
fruit and vegetables in low income adults in the
general population.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine > RM Therapeutics. Pharmacology
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Nutrition counseling -- Great Britain, Diet -- Great Britain, Poor -- Health and hygiene -- Great Britain
Journal or Publication Title:	BMJ
Publisher:	BMJ Group
ISSN:	Behavioural counselling to increase consumption of fruit and vegetables in low income adults: randomised trial
Official Date:	2003
Dates:	Date Event 2003 Published
Volume:	Vol.326
Number:	No.7394
DOI:	10.1136/bmj.326.7394.855
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Great Britain. Dept. of Health (DoH), Medical Research Council (Great Britain) (MRC)
Grant number:	121695 (DoH/MRC)

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