The Personal Nutrition Planner: a 5-week, computer-tailored intervention for women

Objective: To conduct a dietary intervention using the Personal Nutrition Planner (PNP), an on-line nutrition intervention tool.

Design: Randomized controlled trial with pretest, posttest, and 2-month follow-up self-report assessments.

Setting: Web/on-line.

Participants: Female university staff (n = 307; 59.1% Caucasian) recruited via e-mail. Retention rate was 85.0% (118 treatment; 143 comparison).

Intervention: PNP on-line produces individualized nutrition feedback based on initial on-line assessment. Intervention lasted 5 weeks and included weekly e-mail reminders.

Main outcome measures: Dietary intake frequencies, weight loss, opinions regarding intervention.

Analysis: Repeated-measures analysis of variance to determine intervention effects on dietary intake and weight loss (P < .05).

Results: Relative to the comparison group who received no program, the treatment group increased dairy intake frequency across the 3 assessments (F(2,304) = 3.15; P < .05). Among participants who wanted to lose weight, weight loss in the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the comparison group from pretest to posttest (F(1,92) = 4.50; P < .05). On a scale of 1-5, mean ratings of the PNP program characteristics ranged from 3-4.

Conclusions and implications: PNP produced significant increases in dairy intake and decreases in weight. Further revisions will tailor PNP to better fit individuals' dietary goals and increase motivation.