The NEW Soul Study: Implementation and Evaluation Impact From the Secular Trend of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Context: In process evaluation research, secular trends refer to external factors unrelated to an intervention that impact implementation. The COVID-19 pandemic was a secular trend that affected the implementation of the Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) study.

Objective: This paper describes steps taken in modifying intervention delivery due to the secular trend of the pandemic. This paper also addresses process evaluation measures of dose delivered, dose received, and satisfaction.

Design: This study is a longitudinal study.

Setting: The study took place in Columbia, SC, from 2018 to 2021.

Participants: African American adults between 18 and 65 years old.

Intervention: The NEW Soul study, a dietary lifestyle intervention, lasted 24 months.

Main outcome measures: Process evaluation variables of dose delivered, dose received, and satisfaction.

Results: The study team shifted intervention delivery and maintained the timeline of classes for participants and intervention activities. Dose delivered was higher in-person (7.0 out of 8) compared to online (6.4 out of 8; t = -3.92, P = .002). Attendance was higher in-person compared to online (t = 2.80, P = .006). Overall, satisfaction of the intervention was favorable in-person and online. Helpfulness of nutrition information in the class was rated lower online compared to in-person (t = 2.05, P = .04).

Conclusions: Even though the study team successfully shifted intervention delivery online, dose delivered was higher in-person. Evaluations of classes remained high across cohorts and for in-person and online classes. Future lifestyle interventions working with African American adults requires consistent flexibility in intervention delivery.