Spouse Support and Long-term Adherence to Lipid-lowering Diets

Social support is inversely associated with heart disease risk. Support may influence heart disease by encouraging health behavior change in high-risk individuals. This study examined the association between spouse support and maintenance of low-fat diets in men with hypercholesterolemia. Participants were 254 men enrolled in a 24-month randomized trial of lipid-lowering diets initiated in 1985 in Seattle, Washington. The Evaluation of Spouse Support, which assesses the extent to which spouses supported maintenance of lipid-lowering diets, was administered after the last of eight dietary classes and at 3, 12, and 24 months postinstruction. Attainment of dietary goals was determined from food records completed at the end of the class and at 3, 12, and 24 months. Compared with those in the lowest quartile, those in the highest quartile of support were more likely to attain dietary goals at 3 months (odds ratio (OR) = 4.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.9-10.4), 12 months (OR = 5.5, 95% CI 2.4-12.5), and 24 months (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.7-9.3). Support was not associated with end-of-class dietary goal achievement. Social support may be an important factor in the maintenance of low-fat diets.