A nutrition and exercise intervention program for controlling weight in Samoan communities in New Zealand.

OBJECTIVE

To promote weight loss in Samoan church communities through an exercise program and nutrition education.

METHODS

A quasi-experimental design was used to assess weight change, over 1 y, in cohorts of people aged 20-77 y from three non-randomised Samoan church communities (two intervention, n=365 and one control, n=106) in Auckland, New Zealand. The intervention churches received aerobics sessions and nutrition education about dietary fat.

RESULTS

Baseline body mass index for the intervention and control churches was (mean+/-s.e.) 34.8+/-0.4 and 34.3+/-0.9 kg/m(2), respectively. The intervention churches lost an average of 0.4+/-0.3 kg compared to a 1.3+/-0.6 kg weight gain in the control church (P=0.039, adjusted for confounders). The number of people who were vigorously active increased by 10% in the intervention churches compared to a 5% decline in the control church (P=0.007). Nutrition education had little apparent impact on knowledge or behaviour.

CONCLUSION

Samoan communities in New Zealand are very obese and have high rates of annual weight gain. A community-based intervention program arrested this weight gain in the short term.