Nutrition Education for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Spinal Cord Injury

This is a randomized controlled trial to study a nutrition education intervention in individuals with spinal cord injuries both in the acute rehabilitation setting (n = 100) and the community setting (n = 100). Participants in the treatment group will receive six interactive nutrition lectures based upon a successful program that has been used in older adults titled "Eat Smart, Stay Well". The goals of intervention are to improve whole-grain, fruit and vegetable, and low-fat dairy intake and reduce fat and saturated fat intake. Secondary outcomes will include improvements in waist circumference of body mass index and some biomarkers such as cholesterol and blood sugar.