FEASIBILITY OF USING VOLUNTEER RESEARCH STAFF TO DELIVER AND EVALUATEA LOW-FAT DIETARY INTERVENTION - THE AMERICAN-CANCER-SOCIETY BREAST-CANCER DIETARY INTERVENTION PROJECT

This report presents the results of a study to examine the feasibility of using volunteers as research staff for a randomized trial of wheth er reduction in dietary fat intake could prevent or delay breast cance r recurrence, We examined whether volunteers could be trained to recru it study participants, deliver a complex and intensive dietary interve ntion, and monitor intervention effectiveness, Volunteers, who were mo stly employed nurses and dietitians, screened 521 women, of whom 293 w ere eligible and 144 were randomized, Participants were postmenopausal women under age 75, who had recently been diagnosed with breast cance r and treated with either mastectomy or lumpectomy, At 1 year postrand omization, 77% of intervention and 75% of control participants remaine d active in the study, Intervention effects (change in intervention gr oup minus change in control group) at 3, 6, and 12 months postrandomiz ation were 5.9, 8.4, and 7.2% energy from fat and 1.7, 3.0, and 3.5 kg body weight (all P < 0.001), These results were similar to those from other studies that used paid, professional staff to deliver and monit or interventions, Results from this feasibility study suggest that vol unteer-based health organizations can provide research opportunities f or health practitioners and can conduct high-quality research at lower costs.