Overcoming design problems in evaluating health behavior programs.
The increasing importance of high-quality evaluative research on health lifestyle change programs is established. Failure to ask the right evaluative research questions and problems of research design are identified as two major reasons for the dearth of well-controlled, interpretable evaluations in this area. Thirteen issues of research design that need to be considered if interpretable answers to evaluative research questions are to be obtained are identified and discussed. Solutions to these problems and design recommendations are offered.
D001294:Attitude to Health; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012107:Research Design