Mean Differences for 3 Delivery Modalities of the Healthy Eating, Staying Active As We Age Curriculum for Older Adults.

Objective: To assess the mean differences in outcomes of 3 delivery modalities of a nutrition education program targeting older adults.

Methods: A natural experiment was conducted from March 2020 to September 2021, with presurveys and postsurveys used to assess dietary and physical activity behaviors. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, and ANOVA, with a Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold at P < 0.001.

Results: There were 3 groups: in-person (n = 212), Zoom (n = 61), and phone (n = 104). Respondents aged > 70 years and in rural areas were more likely to be enrolled in person (P < 0.001). Across all modalities, there were significant improvements from before to after for most outcomes. The phone group reported significantly larger mean differences than the in-person group for fruit, vegetable, and whole grain consumption (P < 0.001).

Conclusions And Implications: Healthy Eating, Staying Active as We Age can be delivered across all modalities. Future practitioners can use the findings to consider alternative modalities that may better meet the needs of their audience.