Effectiveness of Australia's Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service®: Translational research with population wide impact

Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
Preventive Medicine, 2012, 55 (4), pp. 292 - 298
Issue Date:
2012-10-01
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Objective: With increasing rates of non-communicable disease, there is a need for implementing population-wide, evidence-based interventions for improving behavioural risk factors. Telephone-based interventions provide one option. This study reports on the evaluation of the Australia's Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service®, to improve lifestyle behaviours, amongst a population-wide sample who completed the 6-month coaching programme. Methods: Using a pre-post design, New South Wales participants who completed telephone-based coaching between February 2009 and December 2011 were included. Outcomes comprised self-reported weight, waist circumference, height, physical activity and dietary behaviours. Matched pair analyses and multivariate modelling were performed to assess behavioural changes. Results: Participants (n = 1440) reported statistically significant improvements in weight (-3.9. kg (5.1)); waist circumference (-5.0. cm (6.0)); and Body Mass Index (-1.4 BMI units (1.8)); number of walking and moderate-vigorous physical activity sessions of ≥ 30. min per week; number of vigorous physical activity sessions of ≥ 20. min per week and servings of vegetables; fruit; take-away meals and sweetened drinks (all p < 0.001). Improvements in weight, waist, moderate physical activity, fruit and vegetable and take-away meals consumption remained significant after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics. Conclusions: These results support the effectiveness of replicating an evidence-based intervention in improving population risk factors for chronic disease. © 2012 Elsevier Inc.
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