A "contract for change" increases produce consumption in low-income women: a pilot study.

This study determined whether a "Contract for Change" goal-setting exercise enhanced the effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education/Food Stamp Nutrition Education programs to increase produce consumption in low-income (<130% of poverty) women after 4 weeks. Thirty-eight participants were randomized in this three-group parallel arm study: (a) control group participants received life-skills lessons, (b) the education group received the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education/Food Stamp Nutrition Education "Food Guide Pyramid" lessons, and (c) the contract group also received the "Food Guide Pyramid" series and completed a "Contract for Change." It was hypothesized that the contract group would have the greatest increases in advancement toward dietary change and produce consumption. Compared with controls, the contract group significantly moved toward acceptance of vegetable consumption (P < or = .05). Compared with the education group, the contract group significantly increased fruit consumption. Results suggest that nutrition professionals can effectively use goal-setting to assist low-income populations with dietary change.

Erythrocyte folate and its response to folic acid supplementation is assay dependent in women.

Optimizing folate status requires continued monitoring of erythrocyte (RBC) folate and folate intake. The accuracy of RBC folate assays remains a concern. Therefore, we measured RBC folate with 4 different assays, examined the interassay correlations, and compared RBC folate with folate intake as measured by an abbreviated folate-targeted food/supplement screener. The screener had 21 questions (19 diet, 2 supplement) and measured usual and customary intakes of dietary folate equivalents (DFEs). Our design was a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial, 4 assays in pregnant and nonpregnant women before and after each group received a folic acid supplement (1814 nmol/d) for 30-60 d. Folate assays included L. casei, chemiluminescence, GC-MS, and radioassay (RA). Baseline RBC folate levels ranked low to high by assay (mean +/- SE) were as follows: 1155 +/- 44 nmol/L (L. casei) < 1390 +/- 43 nmol/L (chemiluminescence) < 1531 +/- 39 nmol/L (GC-MS) < 1727 +/- 55 nmol/L (RA) (P < 0.0001). Supplementation raised RBC folate levels (mean +/- SE) as follows: 138 +/- 63 nmol/L (chemiluminescence) < 267 +/- 64 nmol/L (GC-MS) = 285 +/- 75 nmol/L (L. casei) < 351 +/- 87 nmol/L (RA). Pregnant women had higher RBC folate than nonpregnant women using chemiluminescence and RA. Interassay correlations (r) ranged from 0.4679 to 0.8261 (P < 0.001). Correlations of RBC folate with folate intake ranged from 0.2676 to 0.4622 (P < 0.0004). We conclude that RBC folate levels are assay dependent, as is the definition of optimized status; there continues to be a need for an accurate assay of RBC folate. RBC folate correlated with total folate intake using a folate-targeted food/supplement screener.