Nursing & Health

Background/Aims: Chronic diseases (CDs) have reached epidemic proportions

in Pacific Island countries. Unhealthy lifestyle is one of the major

risk factors and lifestyle interventions have been shown to be efficacious

for primary, secondary and early tertiary prevention. However, there is a

paucity of evidence regarding effective community-based lifestyle interventions

in the South Pacific (SP). This study examined the effectiveness

of a contextualised version of the evidence-based CHIP intervention, utilising

the low-literacy REFLECT approach.

Methods: A 30-day cluster-RCT of 48 adults with elevated risk (waist

circumference _ 92 cm for men and _ 80 cm for women), in two rural

Fijian villages was conducted. Intervention participants (n ¼ 24) met three

times a week to receive the program. Control participants (n ¼ 24)

received only country-specific Ministry of Health literature. Outcome

assessments at baseline and 30 days included BMI, WC, blood pressure,

lipids and glucose. The extent of the change in each measures between

intervention and control villages was assessed using mixed betweenwithin

ANOVA.

Results: In 30 days, significant reductions were recorded for intervention

participant’s BMI (2%), SBP (10%), DBP (8%), T-cholesterol (6%), LDL (12%),

HDL (15%) and blood glucose (10%), while triglycerides increased 35%. Only

DBP (7%) and T-cholesterol (8%) decreased in the control group.

Conclusions: This is the first lifestyle intervention using the REFLECT

approach to target CDs in the SP. Significant reductions in selected CD risk

factors were observed in 30 days, being comparable to cohorts in first

world countries. Larger scale research is warranted to assess broader delivery

of this lifestyle intervention across the SP.

Funding source(s): N/A

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