title: Content and characteristics of goals created during a self-management intervention for people with epilepsy.
abstract: Goals are presented in the chronic illness literature as effective strategies to help people adopt self-management behaviors; however, not much is known about the types and characteristics of individuals' goals. The purpose of this study was to examine goal setting among people with epilepsy who participated in the WebEase program. WebEase is an Internet-based, theory-driven, self-management program with modules on medication adherence, stress management, and sleep habits. Participants had the opportunity to create and evaluate goals over the course of 6 weeks, with 2 weeks for each module. The goals were analyzed using three dimensions: content, specificity, and proximity. Most participants in the sample wrote goals for each week of the program. Several main content areas emerged within the modules. Goal quality, measured by specificity and proximity, did not differ according to readiness for behavior change. Readiness to change did not differ between those who wrote a goal and those who did not. The diversity of goal content and quality indicates that individuals should be supported in goal development and encouraged to set their own self-management goals, regardless of their readiness for behavior change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA. ereisin@emory.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth Reisinger
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wexler
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dilorio
authors.forename: Cam
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escoffery
authors.forename: Frances
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McCarty
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Yeager
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012892:Sleep Deprivation / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000458:organization & administration*