Abstract
In a secondary analysis, we assessed the ability of dietary and physical activity surveys to explain variability in weight loss within a worksite-adapted Diabetes Prevention Program. The program involved 58 overweight/obese female employees (average age = 46 ± 11 years SD; average body mass index = 34.7 ± 7.0 kg/m2 SD) of four long-term care facilities who survey-reported liking and frequency of dietary and physical activity behaviors. Data were analyzed using a latent variable approach, analysis of covariance, and nested regression analysis to predict percent weight change from baseline to intervention end at week 16 (average loss = 3.0%; range—6% gain to 17% loss), and follow-up at week 28 (average loss = 2.0%; range—8% gain to 16% loss). Using baseline responses, restrained eaters (reporting liking but low intakes of high fat/sweets) achieved greater weight loss at 28 weeks than those reporting high liking/high intake (average loss = 3.5 ± 0.9% versus 1.0 ± 0.8% S.E., respectively). Examining the dietary surveys separately, only improvements in liking for a healthy diet were associated significantly with weight loss (predicting 44% of total variance, p < 0.001). By contrasting liking versus intake changes, women reporting concurrent healthier diet liking and healthier intake lost the most weight (average loss = 5.4 ± 1.1% S.E.); those reporting eating healthier but not healthier diet liking (possible misreporting) gained weight (average gain = 0.3 ± 1.4% S.E.). Change in liking and frequency of physical activity were highly correlated but neither predicted weight loss independently. These pilot data support surveying dietary likes/dislikes as a useful measure to capture dietary behaviors associated with weight loss in worksite-based programs. Comparing dietary likes and intake may identify behaviors consistent (appropriate dietary restraint) or inconsistent (misreporting) with weight loss success.
Highlights
Health promotion interventions need tools to evaluate changes in diet that are feasible and useful for community settings
This paper extends our research on reported food/beverage liking as a novel and valid measure of dietary behaviors [4,5,6] that is feasible in workplace settings [7,8,9] as a potential tool for dietary evaluation
Individuals who report consuming a food but not liking the food may be trying to improve the healthiness of their diet or may be misreporting their dietary intake [24]. In this secondary-data analysis, we aimed to investigate the ability of liking- and frequency-based diet screeners to explain levels of weight loss in a Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) that was adapted for delivery and evaluation in a worksite
Summary
Health promotion interventions need tools to evaluate changes in diet that are feasible and useful for community settings. Dietary evaluation measures historically involve multiple dietary recalls/records and/or food frequency surveys to assess changes in energy intakes and diet quality [1]. Novel methods of capturing diet behaviors for intervention studies are needed [2]. This paper extends our research on reported food/beverage liking as a novel and valid measure of dietary behaviors [4,5,6] that is feasible in workplace settings [7,8,9] as a potential tool for dietary evaluation. Survey-reported food likes/dislikes correspond with reported intake assessed by frequency survey/food records [4,7,12,13], as well as biomarkers of consumption [4,6,14]. Food groups formed from liking surveys show internal reliability [7,8]
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