title: Additional self-monitoring tools in the dietary modification component of The Women's Health Initiative.
abstract: Self-monitoring promotes behavior changes by promoting awareness of eating habits and creates self-efficacy. It is an important component of the Women's Health Initiative dietary intervention. During the first year of intervention, 74% of the total sample of 19,542 dietary intervention participants self-monitored. As the study progressed the self-monitoring rate declined to 59% by spring 2000. Participants were challenged by inability to accurately estimate fat content of restaurant foods and the inconvenience of carrying bulky self-monitoring tools. In 1996, a Self-Monitoring Working Group was organized to develop additional self-monitoring options that were responsive to participant needs. This article describes the original and additional self-monitoring tools and trends in tool use over time. Original tools were the Food Diary and Fat Scan. Additional tools include the Keeping Track of Goals, Quick Scan, Picture Tracker, and Eating Pattern Changes instruments. The additional tools were used by the majority of participants (5,353 of 10,260 or 52% of participants who were self-monitoring) by spring 2000. Developing self-monitoring tools that are responsive to participant needs increases the likelihood that self-monitoring can enhance dietary reporting adherence, especially in long-term clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. yrahmani@whi.org
authors.forename: Yasmin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mossavar-Rahmani
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Henry
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodabough
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bragg
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: Trish
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freed
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kinzel
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: C Oehme
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Soule
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vosburg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015930:Diet Records; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D010349:Patient Compliance; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016387:Women's Health
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats