A web-based, stage-matched message intervention was designed in order to see the effect on the physical activity of young Taiwanese women with regard to several variables. The intervention was guided by the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) and was evaluated using a pre-post-test control group design. One hundred thirty female freshmen, enrolled in a nursing class in a university in Taipei, completed the survey at three different points in time. They were assigned to three groups: an experimental group with stage-matched messages on the website, a generic group with non-stage-matched messages on the website, and a control group that was given only lectures but had no access to the website. Results indicated that the subjects in the stage-matched group improved most in terms of stage-of-exercise and amount of physical activity, followed by the generic group at immediate post-test; meanwhile, the control group had a tendency toward downward change. The effect did not persist, however, for the first two groups. A significantly higher level of exercise self-efficacy was found in the stage-matched group than in the other two groups immediately after the intervention. The results suggested that a website conveying theory-based messages can serve as a useful tool for improving young females' physical activity and exercise self-efficacy. Additionally, we need research that explores different degrees and dimensions of tailoring in order to find the optimal degree of audience segmentation.

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Background and Purpose: Indigenous people who leave their hometowns and move to the city to earn a living became urban aboriginals. During the process of adapting to urban living situations, they may use various coping strategies such as smoking to overcome their stress. Therefore, it is crucial to provide health education including smoking prevention, increasing knowledge regarding of tobacco hazard, self-efficacy of anti-smoking, and adjusting smoking behavior so as to empower their anti-smoking motivation to prevent lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an anti-smoking program on urban aboriginals in Taiwan. Methods: A quasi-experimental study design with purposeful sampling was employed. A total of 125 aboriginal subjects were recruited from two local churches at Shu Lin area in northern Taiwan. Subjects were divided into an experimental group (n =64 ) and a control group (n = 61). Both took pre-tests in order to set baseline values, and only the experimental group participated for 3-weeks in the anti-smoking program classes. Both groups took post-tests immediately after the intervention in order to evaluate the immediate effects of the teaching program, and a follow-up test was conducted four weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANCOVA, and repeat measure ANCOVA. Results: After controlling for confounding variables, the results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the self-efficacy of anti-smoking and smoking behavior between experimental and control groups in the immediately post-test and the follow-up test (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant differences in the recognition of hazards of smoking at eiter time point. Conclusions and Implications for Practice: The findings of this study revealed that the anti-smoking program effectively improved self-efficacy of anti-smoking, and decreased the smoking behavior in urban aboriginals. They provide useful information as a reference regarding of aboriginal health promotion to health providers. It is imperative that anti-smoking be reinforced for those regular smokers to prevent induction of lung cancer.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most serious health problems in Taiwan. Although the Taiwanese government passed a Tobacco Hazard Control Act in 1997, it is not fully applicable to the workplace. The purpose of the study was to review workplace smoking prevalence and policies, and to discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing workplace smoking policies in Taiwan. Results show that smoking prevalence in the workplace in Taiwan is high, particularly among males, ranging from 38 to 68%. More than 75% of smokers in Taiwan smoke in the workplace. The percentage of workplaces implementing restrictive smoking policies in Taiwan is low, particularly in small-sized workplaces. The Tobacco Hazard Control Act in Taiwan has not been strongly enforced in public places, let alone in private companies. Several constructive suggestions are presented in the study. For example, establishing workplace smoking policies, informing employers that second-hand smoke is a human carcinogen, providing financial support for employers to initiate cessation programs, and modifying the current Tobacco Hazard Control Act, etc.