Project ALIVE: A Lifetime Intervention Via Email

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Project ALIVE is a cost-effective strategy encourage healthy eating and increase regular physical activity among participants. Participants receive e-mails providing individually tailored small-step goals, education materials, a personal homepage, and tracking and simulation tools. Self-reported changes in physical activity and diet in the intervention group show significant improvement over a control group. The study was conducted by the Kaiser Permanente Research Group in collaboration with Block Dietary Data Systems and funded by the Centers for Disease Control.

Goal / Mission

The goal of Project ALIVE is to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.

Results / Accomplishments

A randomized controlled trial of 787 volunteers showed that the intervention group reported significant increases in moderate physical activity (28 min/week), vigorous physical activity (12.5 min/week), and walking ( 21.5 min/week) when compared to the control group. Those that received e-mails significantly decreased their intake of saturated and trans fats, and increased the number of fruits and vegetables they ate. Participants who were below baseline recommendations at the onset of the study saw the most improvement. Behavioral differences between the intervention and control groups persisted four months following the trial.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
Primary Contact
Barbara Sternfeld, PhD
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
2000 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94612
bsternfeld@gmail.com
https://www.dor.kaiser.org/external/Barbara_Sternf...
Topics
Health / Physical Activity
Organization(s)
Kaiser Permanente Division of Research
Source
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Date of publication
2009
Date of implementation
2006
Location
California
For more details
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleUR...
Target Audience
Adults

Related Promising Practices

  1. Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child-Care (NAP SACC)
  2. PACE+: Counseling Adolescents for Exercise and Nutrition
  3. Athletes Targeting Healthy Exercise & Nutrition Alternatives (ATHENA)
  4. Pasos Adelante
  5. Students for Nutrition and Exercise (SNaX)
  6. Workplace Exercise Health Promotion Plan

More

Related Content for: Project ALIVE: A Lifetime Intervention Via Email

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.