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Published on: February 19, 2021
The NEW Soul Study: Implementation and Evaluation Impact From the Secular Trend of the COVID-19 Pandemic
John A Bernhart1, Gabrielle M Turner-McGrievy, Marty Davey
1Author Affiliations: Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior (Drs Bernhart and Turner-McGrievy, Ms Davey, Dr Okpara, and Ms Harrell), Prevention Research Center (Dr Wilcox), Department of Health Services, Policy, and Management (Dr Bailey), Department of Exercise Science (Dr Wilcox), Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina; and Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior (Dr Okpara), The Miriam Hospital and Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Context:
In process evaluation research, secular trends refer to external factors unrelated to an intervention that impact implementation. The COVID-19 pandemic was a secular trend that affected the implementation of the Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) study.
Objective:
This paper describes steps taken in modifying intervention delivery due to the secular trend of the pandemic. This paper also addresses process evaluation measures of dose delivered, dose received, and satisfaction.
Design:
This study is a longitudinal study.
Setting:
The study took place in Columbia, SC, from 2018 to 2021.
Participants:
African American adults between 18 and 65 years old.
Intervention:
The NEW Soul study, a dietary lifestyle intervention, lasted 24 months.
Main Outcome Measures:
Process evaluation variables of dose delivered, dose received, and satisfaction.
Results:
The study team shifted intervention delivery and maintained the timeline of classes for participants and intervention activities. Dose delivered was higher in-person (7.0 out of 8) compared to online (6.4 out of 8; t = -3.92, P = .002). Attendance was higher in-person compared to online ( t = 2.80, P = .006). Overall, satisfaction of the intervention was favorable in-person and online. Helpfulness of nutrition information in the class was rated lower online compared to in-person ( t = 2.05, P = .04).
Conclusions:
Even though the study team successfully shifted intervention delivery online, dose delivered was higher in-person. Evaluations of classes remained high across cohorts and for in-person and online classes. Future lifestyle interventions working with African American adults requires consistent flexibility in intervention delivery.
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