Multiple risk expert systems interventions: impact of simultaneous stage-matched expert system interventions for smoking, high-fat diet, and sun exposure in a population of parents.
Three stage-based expert system interventions for smoking, high-fat diet, and unsafe sun exposure were evaluated in a sample of 2,460 parents of teenagers. Eighty-four percent of the eligible parents were enrolled in a 2-arm randomized control trial, with the treatment group receiving individualized feedback reports for each of their relevant behaviors at 0, 6, and 12 months as well as a multiple behavior manual. At 24 months, the expert system outperformed the comparison condition across all 3 risk behaviors, resulting in 22% of the participants in action or maintenance for smoking (vs. 16% for the comparison condition), 34% for diet (vs. 26%), and 30% for sun exposure (vs. 22%). Proactive, home-based, and stage-matched expert systems can produce significant multiple behavior changes in at-risk populations where the majority of participants are not prepared to change.
Prochaska
James O
JO
Cancer Prevention Research Center, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881-0808, USA. jop@uri.edu
Velicer
Wayne F
WF
Rossi
Joseph S
JS
Redding
Colleen A
CA
Greene
Geoffrey W
GW
Rossi
Susan R
SR
Sun
Xiaowu
X
Fava
Joseph L
JL
Laforge
Robert
R
Plummer
Brett A
BA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005103:Expert Systems; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*
D004041:Dietary Fats