Home Environment-Focused Intervention Improves Dietary Quality: A Secondary Analysis From the Healthy Homes/Healthy Families Randomized Trial

Abstract Objective Estimate Healthy Homes/Healthy Families (HHHF) intervention efficacy for improving dietary quality. Methods Low-income overweight and obese women (n = 349) recruited from rural community health centers were randomized to receive HHHF, a 16-week home environment–focused coaching intervention or health education materials by mail. Healthy Eating Index–2010 scores were calculated from 2 24-hour dietary recalls collected at baseline and 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results HHHF participants reported greater improvements in Healthy Eating Index–2010 total scores at 6-month follow-up (+3.41 ± 13.43 intervention vs +2.02 ± 12.26 control; P =.009). Subcomponent analysis indicated greater consumption of total vegetables ( P  = .02) and greens and beans ( P  = .001), whole grains ( P  = .02) and reduced consumption of empty calories ( P  = .03). Standardized intervention effect sizes were 0.16 at 6 months and 0.13 at 12 months of follow-up. Conclusions and Implications The HHHF resulted in short-term improvements in dietary quality, although more research is needed to interpret the clinical significance of effect sizes of this magnitude.