1-PERCENT OR LESS - A COMMUNITY-BASED NUTRITION CAMPAIGN

Objective, The authors evaluated the effectiveness of a community educ ation campaign to encourage a switch from high-fat (whole and 2%) milk to low-fat (1%, 1/2%, and skim) milk as a way to reduce consumption o f saturated fat. Methods. Milk sales data were collected from supermar kets in the intervention and comparison communities for three one-mont h time periods: at baseline, immediately following the campaign, and s ix months after the campaign. In addition, trained volunteers conducte d pre- and post-intervention telephone surveys. Results, Overall milk sales increased by 16% in the intervention cities following the campai gn and remained high at follow-up. Low-fat milk's market share increas ed from 18% of overall milk sales at baseline to 41% of overall milk s ales in the month following the end of the campaign, an increase in ma rket share that was sustained at the six-month follow-up. In the posti ntervention telephone survey, 38.2% of those respondents who reported drinking high-fat milk at baseline reported having switched to low-fat milk. Conclusion, A focused message communicated through paid adverti sing, public relations activities, and community-based education progr ams increased low-fat and overall milk consumption in one community.