title: Goal difficulty and goal commitment affect adoption of a lower glycemic index diet in adults with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few studies have examined the effect of goal difficulty on behavioral change even though goal setting is widely used in diabetes education. The effect of a goal to consume either 6 or 8 servings/day of low glycemic index (LGI) foods was evaluated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults 40-65 years old with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to the 6 or 8 serving/day treatment group following a 5-week GI intervention. Perceived goal difficulty, commitment, satisfaction, and self-efficacy were evaluated, and four day food records assessed dietary intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups increased consumption of LGI foods (P<0.001); there were no significant differences in the change in consumption between groups. Participants who were more committed to the goal perceived the goal to be less difficult (P<0.01). Those with greater efficacy beliefs were more committed to their goal, perceived the goal to be less difficult, and were more satisfied with their performance (all P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A specific goal regarding LGI foods can facilitate the adoption of a lower GI diet. Future research is needed to determine if goal commitment or goal difficulty mediate the process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinicians should help clients set specific goals regarding dietary change.
authors.affiliation: Ohio State University, Department of Human Nutrition, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. CMiller@ehe.osu.edu
authors.forename: Carla K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Headings
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peyrot
authors.forename: Haikady
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagaraja
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009752:Nutritional Status; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011594:Psychometrics; D012648:Self Care; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013997:Time Factors