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A nutrition and exercise intervention program for controlling weight in Samoan communities in New Zealand
A C Bell1, B A Swinburn, H Amosa
1Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Objective:
To promote weight loss in Samoan church communities through an exercise program and nutrition education.
Methods:
A quasi-experimental design was used to assess weight change, over 1 y, in cohorts of people aged 20-77 y from three non-randomised Samoan church communities (two intervention, n=365 and one control, n=106) in Auckland, New Zealand. The intervention churches received aerobics sessions and nutrition education about dietary fat.
Results:
Baseline body mass index for the intervention and control churches was (mean+/-s.e.) 34.8+/-0.4 and 34.3+/-0.9 kg/m(2), respectively. The intervention churches lost an average of 0.4+/-0.3 kg compared to a 1.3+/-0.6 kg weight gain in the control church (P=0.039, adjusted for confounders). The number of people who were vigorously active increased by 10% in the intervention churches compared to a 5% decline in the control church (P=0.007). Nutrition education had little apparent impact on knowledge or behaviour.
Conclusion:
Samoan communities in New Zealand are very obese and have high rates of annual weight gain. A community-based intervention program arrested this weight gain in the short term.