The Merged Reflect/Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) in the South Pacific - A Pilot Study

Abstract

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