The Effect of an Internet-Based, Stage-Matched Message Intervention on Young Taiwanese Women's Physical Activity

Abstract

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.

Transtheoretical Model-based Nursing Intervention on Lifestyle Change: A Review Focused on Intervention Delivery Methods

“…In the one remaining study, the stage of change was not identified during assessment or evaluation phases, however an intervention plan was formulated using other TTM concepts rather than stage of change. There were six studies comparing the outcome of the stage-matched intervention with that of no stage-matched intervention [28][29][30][31][32][33]. Findings from all of the studies except one [28] showed that the stage-matched intervention is more effective than no stage-matched intervention.…”

Practical Guidelines for Development of Web-Based Interventions

“…The literature indicated that researchers rarely had control of users' actual completion of the interventions. 64 Researchers had little control over the users' access to other Web sites (to prevent contamination), and they rarely identified nonverbal cues. 8,19 The reliability/ credibility of the data provided by users largely depended on the users' willingness and honesty.…”

Internet Recruitment of Asian American Breast Cancer Survivors

“…The retention rates were about 50% across the sub-ethnic groups by the end of the 3-month intervention, which is similar to other Web-based studies in the literature. 32–34 The control group was asked to use only the Internet resources related to daily life (e.g., news in Asian countries, Asian businesses in the U.S.) and the American Cancer Society website while the intervention group was asked to use both the Internet cancer support group and the Internet resources (those related to daily life and those by the American Cancer Society).…”