The Women's Health Trial Feasibility Study in Minority Populations: Changes in dietary intakes

This randomized clinical trial examined the feasibility of low-fat dietary interventions among postmenopausal women of diverse backgrounds. During 199 2-1994, 2,208 women aged 50-79 years, 28% of whom were black and 16% Hispan ic, enrolled at clinics in Atlanta, Georgia, Birmingham, Alabama, and Miami , Florida. Intervention/support groups met periodically with a nutritionist to reduce fat intake to 20% of energy and to make other diet modifications . At 6 months postrandomization, the intervention group reduced fat intake from 39.7% of energy at baseline to 26.4%, a reduction of 13.3% of energy, compared with 2.3% among controls. Saturated fatty acid and cholesterol int akes were reduced, but intakes of fruits and vegetables, but not grain prod ucts, increased. Similar effects were observed at 12 and 18 months. Black a nd non-Hispanic white women had similar levels of reduction in fat, but the decrease in Hispanic women was less. Changes did not vary significantly by education. While bias in self-reported intakes may have resulted in somewh at overestimated changes in fat intake, the reported reduction was similar to the approximately 10% of energy decrease found in most trials and sugges ts that large changes in fat consumption can be attained in diverse study p opulations and in many subgroups.