A Stage of Change Theory-Based, Stage-Matched Intervention for Healthy Dietary Intake Among Office Workers in a Low- to Middle-Income Country: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Trial.
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: An unhealthy diet is a well-established risk factor for the development of noncommunicable diseases, and office workers are at a higher risk of noncommunicable diseases due to their sedentary work style. Stage of change (SOC) theory-based and stage-matched interventions effectively influence dietary and behavior changes. The effectiveness of such interventions in the context of low- and middle-income countries is yet to be assessed.
Objective: This protocol describes a cluster randomized trial planned to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention for changing dietary behavior among government office workers in the Galle district in Sri Lanka.
Methods: A cluster randomized trial was conducted in 20 clusters divided into intervention and control arms. A cluster was an office with 30 clerical-type workers who were sedentary at work. A stage-matched intervention based on behavior change processes was implemented in the intervention clusters for 3 months. Participants were provided with an intervention matched to their SOC at baseline. Precontemplators and contemplators received awareness-raising and emotional arousal interventions. Others received goal setting and self-monitoring interventions. The SOC and dietary intake were assessed at baseline and the postintervention stage through a staging algorithm, and 24-hour dietary recall was supplemented with a picture guide and computer software. Adherence to the intervention was assessed monthly. We hypothesized that participants would achieve a progressive change in the SOC and healthy dietary intake in the intervention clusters compared to the control clusters.
Results: By December 2024, the planned intervention was completed. Data analysis on the effectiveness of the intervention is to be completed and published in 2025.
Conclusions: This protocol reports a stage-matched intervention based on SOC theory, enriching the current knowledge base with new evidence from office workers in a low- to middle-income country.
Trial registration: Sri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry SLCTR/2020/025; https://slctr.lk/trials/slctr-2020-025.
International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/70293.