Diabetes Prevention and Control: Improving Health Behaviors through a Rural Community-Based Contest

Objective:   The Working on Wellness (WOW) Contest was developed as part of the University of Missouri’s Better Self-Management of Diabetes Project, a community-based participatory research project in two rural mid-Missouri counties.  The aims of this quasi-experimental  intervention were to increase physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake among people at risk for diabetes.

Methods:   The WOW Contest was developed and implemented by an interdisciplinary project team and a local grocery store.  It was based on the ecological model taking into account the organizational, interpersonal and individual factors contributing to lifestyle behavior choices to promote healthy behavior changes.  Contest participants were challenged to increase fruit and vegetable intake, increase physical activity and set personal health goals. Activities included exercise demonstrations and hands-on nutrition education opportunities.  The six-month contest was open to all community members, split into groups of 2-5 people per team.  Small teams allowed for support networks of friends, families, and co-workers to promote healthy behaviors. The contest encouraged community organizations to take an active role in promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors, and engaged a diverse group of community members and key stakeholders with a common aim of improving lifestyle behaviors thus providing opportunities for sustainability.

Results:  Participants increased fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity of 31.8% and 81.8% respectively (n=150).

Conclusion:  This intervention holds promise as a community-based strategy that can be widely implemented in other community settings. Full scale demonstration trials are needed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention compared to community control participants.