Assessing stage of change and informed decision making for Internet participation in health promotion and disease management.
The Internet is a potentially powerful source of low- or no-cost programs through which individuals can be guided in changing their behavior to improve health. Using the Transtheoretical Model and survey methodology, the authors sought to produce reliable and valid instruments for assessing "stage of change" and "informed decision making," and to generate cross-sectional and longitudinal stage-of-change data for a sample of Internet users, as they apply to Internet use for health promotion and disease management. They found that only 24.7% of their sample used the Internet for these purposes and concluded that considerably more research will be needed to determine how to help significant percentages of populations to progress toward enhancing their health through the Internet.
Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc., West Kingston, Rhode Island 02892, USA. ccummins@prochange.com
Carol O
CO
Cummins
Kerry E
KE
Evers
Janet L
JL
Johnson
Andrea
A
Paiva
James O
JO
Prochaska
Janice M
JM
Prochaska
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003657:Decision Making; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012237:Rhode Island