The effects of a cholesterol education intervention on selected cholesterol-controlling behaviors and blood cholesterol levels of samples of adult males and females

This study examined the effects of the four-hour intervention, Eating to Your Heart's Content, on the blood cholesterol level and cholesterol-controlling behaviors, as assessed through a 12-hour fasting blood analysis and the Nutrition Behavior Inventory (NBI), respectively, of 32 adult males and 30 adult females, all of whom had a blood cholesterol level greater than 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood. The research methodology utilized in this study was an experimental design with volunteer subjects who were randomly assigned into the experimental or control group. Study data were obtained over a 11-week period. During week one all subjects completed the Background Data Form, the NBI, and the 12-hour fasting blood analysis. Subjects assigned to the experimental group participated in the Eating to Your Heart's Content intervention conducted by the investigator. The objective of the intervention was to influence participants to adopt a sensible approach to eating behavior by providing them with factual information on their blood cholesterol level and practical tips on controlling it. At week 11 of the study, all subjects completed a second NBI and blood cholesterol analysis. Four hypotheses were tested with the data obtained through the two assessment tools, the NBI and the blood cholesterol analysis, and were analyzed statistically using Student's t-test procedure. The comparison showed a significant decrease in the NBI score for the female experimental group and for the male control group. A marginal decrease on the NBI score was noted for the male experimental group. With regard to blood cholesterol level, no significant decrease occurred for the male and female subjects in the experimental or control group, although a marginal decrease was found for both of these groups. This slight decrease in blood cholesterol levels coupled with the decrease in the NBI score may be considered encouraging. The results of this research seemed to support that a moderate approach, such as the Eating to Your Heart's Content, to changing selected cholesterol-controlling behavior was effective for females. The evidence from this study in such regard is inconclusive regarding males.