Can classes help rural women eat better and walk more?
Changes in diet and physical activity resulting from the Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities randomized cardiovascular disease risk reduction multilevel intervention trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Women in rural towns got either weekly classes on eating healthy and walking, or just a few talks. Those with weekly classes ate more fruits and veggies and said they walked more, but machines didn’t show they moved more overall.
Surprising Findings
The intervention had no measurable effect on objectively tracked physical activity, despite twice-weekly exercise classes.
Most people assume structured exercise classes = more movement. But here, even with strength training and aerobic sessions, machines showed no change—challenging the assumption that classes translate to real activity.
Practical Takeaways
Add one extra serving of vegetables to your daily meals—like tossing spinach in eggs or snacking on carrots. Even 0.3 cups/day adds up over time.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Women in rural towns got either weekly classes on eating healthy and walking, or just a few talks. Those with weekly classes ate more fruits and veggies and said they walked more, but machines didn’t show they moved more overall.
Surprising Findings
The intervention had no measurable effect on objectively tracked physical activity, despite twice-weekly exercise classes.
Most people assume structured exercise classes = more movement. But here, even with strength training and aerobic sessions, machines showed no change—challenging the assumption that classes translate to real activity.
Practical Takeaways
Add one extra serving of vegetables to your daily meals—like tossing spinach in eggs or snacking on carrots. Even 0.3 cups/day adds up over time.
Publication
Journal
The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Year
2019
Authors
S. Folta, L. Paul, M. Nelson, D. Strogatz, M. Graham, Galen D. Eldridge, M. Higgins, D. Wing, Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler
Related Content
Claims (5)
A program that helped older rural women eat more fruits and veggies led to them eating about half a cup more each day than women who got little help — showing that good education can make a difference even when fresh food isn’t always easy to find.
A program that taught rural women over 40 who are overweight how to eat more vegetables helped them eat about one-third of a cup more veggies each day than women who got only basic info — showing that even in places with limited food options, education can make a real difference.
A program in rural areas that helped women over 40 who are overweight get more active by walking and getting involved in their community led to them reporting they walked more—about 113.5 extra MET-minutes a week—than women who got only basic info, even though actual movement didn’t change when measured with devices.
In rural women over 40 who are overweight or obese, adding structured exercise classes didn’t make them move more during the day than just giving them basic advice — so those classes alone might not help them get more active.
Eating healthy, nutritious food can help lower your chances of having heart problems like heart attacks or strokes.