SOCIAL SUPPORT AS A PREDICTOR OF DIETARY CHANGE IN A LOW-INCOME POPULATION

Social support has been found to predict success with health behavior change but, as yet, few studies examine the relationship between socia l support and dietary change in a low-income population. We developed a social support for dietary change measure for hypercholesterolemic p opulation and tested its predictive utility in a clinical trial with a dietary intervention. Questions were administered by telephone to 443 patients enrolled in the trial. Dietary change was measured by the Di etary Risk Assessment. Factor analysis revealed three social support f actors: friend, family and negative support, and a fourth factor, moti vation to change. Multiple regression analysis revealed that motivatio n to change was predictive of change to a less atherogenic diet. Resul ts of a gender-stratified analysis revealed that friend support was a significant predictor of dietary change for women but not for men. Int eraction effects indicated that high friend increased the relationship between motivation and diet improvement, and that motivation was a st ronger predictor for men than women. Results of this study indicate th at friend support is especially helpful for women who are trying to ch ange their diets while, for men, the most important factor is motivati on.