This article examines the relationship between reported social support and readiness to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, based on the Transtheoretical Stage of Change Model. Data were collected as part of the baseline assessments for a work site intervention study promoting increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Among workers who did not live alone, household support was significantly higher for those of Hispanic and African American heritage than other groups, and was also higher among men, nonsmokers, and those living with adults compared to those living only with children. In multivariate analyses, coworker support was significantly associated with being in preparation compared to precontemplation/contemplation. Household support was not significantly related to readiness to change in multivariate analyses. The effectiveness of work site nutrition education interventions is likely to be enhanced by teaching participants to provide social support to coworkers and family members.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: The surgeon general 's report on nutrition and health. Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1988.
2.
2. Doll R, Peto R: The causes of cancer: Quantitative estimates of avoidable risk of cancer in the United States today. JNatl Cancer Inst66:1191-1308, 1981.
3.
3. Willett W: Vitamin A and lung cancer. Nutr Rev48:201-211, 1990.
4.
4. Ziegler RG: Vegetables, fruits, and carotenoids and the risk of cancer. Am J Clin Nutr53(suppl.):251S-259S, 1991.
5.
5. Steinmetz KA, Potter JD: Vegetables, fruit and cancer. I: Epidemiology. Cancer Causes Control2:325-357, 1991.
6.
6. Steinmetz KA, Potter JD: Vegetables, fruit, and cancer. II: Mechanisms. Cancer Causes Control2:427-442, 1991.
7.
7. Willett WC: Diet and health: What should we eat?Science264:532-537, 1994.
8.
8. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Nutrition and your health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1990.
9.
9. U.S. Department of Agriculture: USDA's Food Guide Pyramid. Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1992.
10.
10. National Academy of Sciences: Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1989.
11.
11. Subar AF, Heimendinger J, Krebs-Smith SM, Patterson BH, Kessler R, Pivonka E: 5A Dayfor Better Health: A Baseline Study of Americans'Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. Washington, DC, National Cancer Institute, 1992.
12.
12. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Health People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Washington, DC, U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991.
13.
13. Subar AF, Heimendinger J, Patterson BH, Krebs-Smith SM, Pivonka E, Kessler R: Fruit and vegetable intake in the United States: The baseline survey of the Five A Day for Better Health Program. Am J Health Prom9(5):352-360, 1995.
14.
14. Serdula MK, Coates RJ, Byers T, Simoes E, Mokdad AH, Subar AF: Fruit and vegetable intake among adults in 16 states: Results of a brief telephone survey. Am J Public Health85(2):236-239, 1995.
15.
15. Krebs-Smith SM, Cook A, Subar AF, Cleveland L, Friday J: US adults fruit and vegetable intakes, 1989 to 1991: A revised baseline for the Healthy People 2000 objective. Am J Public Health85:1623-1629, 1995.
16.
16. Prochaska JO: Systems ofpsychotherapy: A transtheoretical analysis. Homewood, IL, Dorsey, 1979.
17.
17. Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC: Transtheoretical therapy: Toward a more integrative model of change. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice20:161-173, 1982.
18.
18. Prochaska J, DiClemente C: Self change processes, self efficacy and decisional balance across five stages of smoking cessation, in Engstrom PF, Anderson PN, Mortenson LE (eds.): Advances in Cancer Control: Research and Development. New York, Alan R. Liss, 1983.
19.
19. DiClemente CC, Prochaska JO: Self-change and therapy change of smoking behavior: A comparison of processes of change in cessation and maintenance. Addict Behav7:133-142, 1982.
20.
20. Prochaska JO, Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Fava J: Measuring processes of change: Applications to the cessation of smoking. J Consult Clin Psychol56(4):520-528, 1988.
21.
21. DiClemente CC, Prochaska JO, Gilbertini M: Self-efficacy and the stages of self change of smoking. Cognitive Therapy Res9:181-200, 1985.
22.
22. Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Prochaska JO, Brandenburg N: Decisional balance measure for assessing and predicting smoking status. J Pers Soc Psychol48(5):1279-1289, 1985.
23.
23. Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Rossi JS, Prochaska JO: Relapse situations and self-efficacy: An integrative model. Addict Behav15(3):271-283, 1990.
24.
24. Velicer WF, Prochaska JO, Rossi JS, Snow MG: Assessing outcome in smoking cessation studies. Psychol Bull111(1):23-41, 1992.
25.
25. Prochaska JO, Velicer WF, DiClemente CC, Guadagnoli E, Rossi JS: Patterns of change: Dynamic typology applied to smoking cessation. Multivariate Behav Res26:83-107, 1991.
26.
26. Prochaska JO, DiClemente CC, Velicer WF, Rossi JS: Standardized, individualized, interactive, and personalized self-help programs for smoking cessation. Health Psychol12(5):399-405, 1993.
27.
27. Greene GW, Rossi SR, Reed GR, Willey C, Prochaska JO: Stages of change for reducing dietary fat to 30% of energy or less. JAm Diet Assoc94:1105-1110, 1994.
28.
28. Glanz K, Patterson RE, Kristal AR, DiClemente CC, Heimendinger J, Linnan L, McLerran DF: Stages of change in adopting healthy diets: Fat, fiber, and correlates of nutrient intake. Health Educ Q21:499-519, 1994.
29.
29. Berkman LD, Syme SL: Social networks, host resistance and mortality: A nine year follow-up of Alameda County residents. Am JEpidemiol109:186-204, 1979.
30.
30. Gottlieb NH, Baker JA: The relative influence of health beliefs, parental and peer behaviors and exercise program participation on smoking, alcohol use, and physical activity. Soc Sci Med22:915-917, 1986.
31.
31. Tinsley BJ: Multiple influences on the acquisition and socialization of children's health attitudes and behavior: An integrative review. Child Dev63:1043-1069, 1992.
32.
32. Tinsley BJ, Lees NB: Health promotion by parents, in Bornstein MH (ed.): Handbook of Parenting (Vol. 3). Hillsdale, NJ, Lawrence Erlbaum, in press.
33.
33. Yetley EA, Roderruck C: Nutritional knowledge and health goals of young spouses. JAm Diet Assoc77:31-41, 1993.
34.
34. Baker E, Israel BA, Schurman S: The Integrated Model: Implications for worksite health promotion and occupational health and safety practice. Health Educ Q23:175-190, 1996.
35.
35. Daltroy LH, Iversen MD, Larson MG, Ryan J, Zwerling C, Fossel AH, Liang MH: Teaching and social support: Effects on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors to prevent low back injuries in industry. Health Educ Q20:44-53, 1993.
36.
36. Johnson JV, Hall EM: Job strain, workplace social support, and cardiovascular ease: A cross-sectional study of a random sample of the Swedish working population. Am J Public Health78:483-486, 1988.
37.
37. Zimmerman R, Connor C: Health promotion in context: The effects of significant others on health behavior change. Health Educ Q16:57-75, 1989.
38.
38. Brownell KD, Felix MRJ: Competitions to facilitate health promotion: Review conceptual analysis. Am JHealth Prom2:28-36, 1987.
39.
39. Lovato CY, Green LW: Maintaining employee participation in workplace health promotion programs. Health Educ Q17:73-88, 1990.
40.
40. Gottlieb NH, Nelson A: A systematic effort to reduce smoking at the worksite. Health Educ Q17:99-118, 1990.
41.
41. Sorensen G, Pechacek T, Pallonen U: Occupational and worksite norms and attitudes about smoking cessation. Am J Public Health76:544-549, 1986.
42.
42. Sorensen G, Hunt MK, Cohen N, Stoddard A, Stein E, Phillips J, Baker F, Combe C, Hebert J, Palombo R: Worksite and family education for dietary change: The Treatwell 5-a-day program. J Health Educ Res, in press.
43.
43. Serdula M, Coates R, Byers T, Mokdad A, Jewell S, Chavez N, Mares-Perlman J, Newcomb P, Rittenbaugh C, Treiber F, Block G: Evaluation of a brief telephone questionnaire to estimate fruit and vegetable consumption in diverse study populations. Epidemiology4:455-463, 1993.
44.
44. Krebs-Smith SM, Heimendinger J, Subar AF, Patterson BH, Pivonka E: Using food frequency questionnaires to estimate fruit and vegetable intake: Association between the number of questions and total intakes. J Nutr Educ27:80-85, 1995.
45.
45. Hosmer DW, Lemeshow S: Applied Logistic Regression Analysis. New York, John Wiley, 1989.
46.
46. SAS Institute, Inc: SAS/STAT Statistical Software, Version 6.10. Cary, NC, SAS Institute Inc., 1989-1993.
47.
47. Stata Corp: Stata Statistical Software: Release 5.0. College Station, TX, Stata Corporation, 1997.
48.
48. Israel BA: Social networks and health status: Linking theory, research, and practice. Patient Counsel Health Educ4:65-79, 1982.
49.
49. Cohen S, Wills TA: Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychol Bull98:310-357, 1985.
50.
50. Sallis JF, Grossman RM, Pinski RB, Patterson TL, Nader PR: The development of scales to measure social support for diet and exercise behaviors. Prev Med16:825-836, 1987.
51.
51. Adler N, Boyce T, Chesney M, Cohen S, Folkman S, Kahn R, Syme L: Socioeconomic status and health: The challenge of the gradient. Am Psychol49:15-24, 1994.
52.
52. Woodward M, Bolton-Smith C, Tunstall-Pedoe H: Deficient health knowledge, diet, and other lifestyles in smokers: Is a multifactorial approach required?Prev Med23:354-361, 1994.
53.
53. Emmons KM, Thompson B, Feng Z, Hebert JR, Heimendinger J, Linnan L: Dietary intake and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke in a worksite population. Eur J Clin Nutr49:336-345,1995.
54.
54. McCauley MJ, Mirin E: Employer-sponsored health promotion: Why and how to make it a family affair. Occup Med5:771-787, 1990.
55.
55. Baranowski T, Nader PR, Dun K, Vanderpool NA: Family self-help: Promoting changes in health behavior. J Commun32(3):161-172, 1982.
56.
56. Nader PR, Baranowski T: A family-based approach to cardiovascular risk reduction education, in Kaplan RM, Criqui MH (eds.): Behavioral Epidemiology and Disease Prevention (NATO. ASI Series A: Life Sciences Vol. 84). New York, Plenum, 1985, pp. 329-351.
57.
57. Baranowski T, Nader PR: Family health behavior, in Turk DC, Kerns RD (eds.): Health, Illness, and Families. New York, John Wiley, 1985, pp. 51-80.
58.
58. Nicklas TA, Arbeit ML, Johnson CC, Franklin FA, Berenson GS: "Heart Smart" Program: A family intervention program for eating behavior of children at high risk for cardiovascular disease. J Nutr Educ20:128-132, 1988.
59.
59. Borah-Giddens J, Falciglia GA: Ameta-analysis of the relationship in food preferences between parents and children. J Nutr Educ25:102-107, 1993.
60.
60. Israel BA: Social networks and social support: Implications for natural helper and community level interventions. Health Educ Q12:65-80, 1985.
