Behavior Change Programs
for Diet and Physical Activity

Alive! is an effective behavior-change intervention to improve participants ’ physical activity, ‘bad’ fats and carbs, and fruits and vegetables. These are all factors that are proven to be related to heart disease, blood pressure, even stress. It has been proven effective. In a randomized controlled trial, Alive! produced statistically significant increases in physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake, and significant decreases in saturated and trans fats!

Alive! can reach 100s or even 1000s, inexpensively, many more than typically participate in a wellness program. It is delivered actively, directly to participants' email inbox, rather than being a passive website necessitating participant initiative. Alive! is a turn-key system designed for serving large groups such as employees or members of an organization. It requires almost no administrative support, personnel time or expertise on the part of the employer or organization. Assessment, tailoring and delivery of messages are fully automated.

Alive! begins with a baseline questionnaire, a Health Risk Assessment focused on diet and physical activity. This provides immediate feedback about the individual's diet and physical activity levels. So whether or not they participate in the full intervention, everyone receives information about their own health behaviors. This can be a motivation to change, all by itself!

If they sign up, Alive! gives them a weekly email program tailored to their own lifestyle and preferences. A key component is weekly goal-setting. Alive! suggests small weekly achievable goals to choose. These goals, and tips for achieving them, are tailored to the individual's eating habits and physical activity level and preferences. Each message also provides information on the relationship between diet, physical activity and health, and interactive tools.

Alive!  participants can choose among three alternative paths to healthier behavior:

• Increase physical activity
• Increase fruit and vegetable consumption
• Decrease saturated and trans fats, decrease added sugars, increase good fats and whole grains
  

Each 12-week program focuses on one of these three paths. Participants may choose to participate in only one 12-week segment, or may choose to continue, covering two or even all three topics over the course of a year.

In addition to the primary intervention effects on diet and physical activity, Alive! was also shown in the randomized trial to produce significant improvements in health-related quality of life and in presenteeism.

Alive! is not a weight-loss program, although improved dietary and physical activity habits may well help people achieve and maintain healthy weight. Rather, it seeks to improve behaviors that have been shown to be related to a variety of chronic diseases, as well as to mental health and to worksite productivity.

What makes Alive! unique?

Alive! Is proven effective in a randomized controlled trial.

Alive! brings messages directly to the individual – no active information seeking is required.

Alive! Is based on solid behavioral theory.

Alive! is interactive. Participants provide input on their own diet and physical activity patterns. Then, based on their own perceived needs and readiness for change, participants engage in a process of weekly goal setting and tracking.

Alive! is tailored. Participants receive only the information and small steps relevant to their needs and lifestyle.

How to get started with Alive!

Alive! is available to employers or other organizations under a licensing agreement based on the number of potential participants to whom it is offered. We can work with you to meet your needs and resources.

We have found that the highest participation is achieved when people are sent individual invitations through email. With this approach, Alive! enrollment materials are sent to you, the employer or organization, via email. You then forward an "invitation email" to your employees or members. They complete the dietary and physical activity questionnaire, and receive instant feedback on their nutritional and activity level, regardless of whether they enroll or not. After that, if they choose to enroll, employees/members enter their email address. Subsequent program messages are sent via email from the NutritionQuest server.

Alternatively, potential participants may be informed about Alive! through brochures or other promotions. A URL specific to your organization would be provided, through which individuals could complete the assessments and enrollment. Some recruitment materials are available.

 

Other information about Alive!

• Download a Powerpoint presentation illustrating the process and content of Alive!: http://www.nutritionquest.com/products/ALIVE_program_overview.ppt
• Visit the website for the randomized trial of Alive!. This provides more information about both Alive! and the randomized trial:
  http://www.alive.kaiser.org/
• By arrangement, we would be glad to lead a 'webinar', in which we walk you through Alive!. This would enable you and your group to see the invitational email, baseline assessments, and weekly messages, from a remote setting.
• A demo version of Alive! is available, that permits you to experience Alive! directly, by fast-forwarding through all weeks. Contact Block Dietary Data Systems.

Development of Alive!

Alive! is an enhancement of a successful prototype, WIN (Worksite Internet Nutrition). See description of WIN, below.

Alive! is based on solid research. Dr. Gladys Block (Ph.D., Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins) is an internationally respected nutrition researcher, on the faculty at the University of California at Berkeley. Clifford H. Block (Ph.D., Cognitive Psychology, Yale) has been the architect of many large-scale programs in health social marketing, education, and the application of new technologies to achieve innovations in education and health behavior change. Dr. Barbara Sternfeld (Ph.D., Epidemiology, University of California at Berkeley) is a nationally known researcher in physical activity. Torin Block conceived the delivery method and innovative technical features.

Two journal articles have been submitted for publication, and another is in preparation. The first describes the randomized trial results on the effects of Alive! on the diet and physical activity outcomes. The second describes in detail the components of Alive! and the behavioral principles underlying it, and describes the effects on health-related quality of life and presenteeism. The third examines goals that were chosen by randomized trial participants, and the relation between number of goals chosen and diet and physical activity outcomes. 

For more information about Alive!
Contact sales@NutritionQuest.com

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