Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effects Of A Tailored Follow-Up Intervention On Health Behaviors, Beliefs, And Attitudes, Alissa D. Jacobs, Alice S. Ammerman, Susan T. Ennett, Marci K. Campbell, Katherine W. Tawney, Semra Aytur, Stephen W. Marshall, Julie C. Will, Wayne D. Rosamond

Health Management & Policy

Background: The high rates of relapse that tend to occur after short-term behavioral interventions indicate the need for maintenance programs that promote long-term adherence to new behavior patterns. Computer-tailored health messages that are mailed to participants or given in brief telephone calls offer an innovative and time-efficient alternative to ongoing face-to-face contact with healthcare providers.

Methods: Following a 1-year behavior change program, 22 North Carolina health departments were randomly assigned to a follow-up intervention or control condition. Data were collected from 1999 to 2001 by telephone-administered surveys at preintervention and postintervention for 511 low-income, midlife adult women enrolled …