title: Using an Internet-Based Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool to Improve Social-Cognitive Precursors of Physical Activity.
abstract: Internet-based cancer risk assessment tools might serve as a strategy for translating epidemiological risk prediction research into public health practice. Understanding how such tools affect key social-cognitive precursors of behavior change is crucial for leveraging their potential into effective interventions.
  
  
  
  To test the effects of a publicly available, Internet-based, breast cancer risk assessment tool on social-cognitive precursors of physical activity.
  
  
  
  Women (N = 132) aged 40-78 with no personal cancer history indicated their perceived risk of breast cancer and were randomly assigned to receive personalized ( www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu ) or nonpersonalized breast cancer risk information. Immediately thereafter, breast cancer risk perceptions and physical activity-related behavioral intentions, self-efficacy, and response efficacy were assessed.
  
  
  
  Personalized information elicited higher intentions, self-efficacy, and response efficacy than nonpersonalized information, P values < 0.05. Self-efficacy and response efficacy mediated the effect of personalizing information on intentions. Women who received personalized information corrected their inaccurate risk perceptions to some extent, P values < 0.05, but few fully accepted the information.
  
  
  
  Internet-based risk assessment tools can produce beneficial effects on important social-cognitive precursors of behavior change, but lingering skepticism, possibly due to defensive processing, needs to be addressed before the effects can be maximized.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD (SLF, WMPK).
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Fowler
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD (SLF, WMPK).
authors.forename: William M P
authors.initials: WMP
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (LB, JM, GAC, EAW).
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.affiliation: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (LB, JM, GAC, EAW).
authors.forename: Jaclyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.affiliation: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (LB, JM, GAC, EAW).
authors.forename: Graham A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Colditz
authors.affiliation: Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO (LB, JM, GAC, EAW).
authors.forename: Erika A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cancer; health cognitions; health communication; risk perception; risk prediction