STAGES OF CHANGE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION AMONG RURAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCH MEMBERS

Purpose. This study examined the relationship between stages of change , other psychosocial factors, and fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumptio n among rural African-Americans participating in a 5 a Day study. Desi gn. The cross-sectional design assessed associations between F&V intak e, stage of change, self-efficacy, beliefs, barriers, and social suppo rt. Setting. Participants were surveyed by telephone. Subjects. Subjec ts were 3557 adult church members (response rate, 79.1 %), aged 18 and over from 10 North Carolina counties. Measures. A seven-item food fre quency measured F&V intake. Stage of change was measured using four it ems; other psychosocial variables were measured using Likert scales. C hi-square tests and analysis of variance were used in statistical anal yses. Results. The majority of participants (65 %) were in the prepara tion stage of change. Individuals in action/maintenance consumed an av erage of 65 daily F&V servings compared to 3.3 to 3.5 servings for tho se in precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation. Self-efficacy, social support, and belief about how many daily F&V servings are need ed, were positively associated with stage. Barriers were most prevalan t among precontemplators. Conclusions. The findings support the applic ability of the stages-of-change model to dietary change among rural Af rican-Americans. The relationship between stage, self-efficacy, social support, and barriers supports using a multicomponent intervention st rategy.