Assessing psychosocial differences in stages of change: an analysis of military healthcare system patients with type 2 diabetes.
BACKGROUND
Provider advice is considered key to behavioral change for a healthier lifestyle. However, a healthcare professional simply telling an individual to change does not prompt behavior change. This study intends to link patient knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs to the stages of change. By incorporating a stages-of-change assessment and tailoring interventions to patient with diabetes, outcomes can improve.


METHODS
This study is a secondary data analysis of a single-site, prospective intervention study promoting walking in patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 111) in an Army community hospital.


RESULTS
Analysis of variance provided evidence of significant knowledge and attitude differences between precontemplation and contemplation groups, and for significant self-efficacy and social norms differences across the stages of change.


CONCLUSIONS
Results here provided evidence for the application of stages of change in promoting exercise to patient with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, this study makes message recommendations for patients in the various stages of change.
Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Gordon F
GF
West
Lauren A
LA
Cafferty
Christy J W
CJ
Ledford
D000368:Aged; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011582:Psychological Theory; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology