Stages of change across ten health risk behaviors for older adults
Document Type
Article
Date of Original Version
1-1-1999
Abstract
Owing to the recent success of the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change and the possible relationships between health behaviors, this study investigated the stage distribution of 10 healthy behaviors (seatbelt use, avoidance of high fat food, eating a high-fiber diet, attempting to lose weight, exercising regularly, avoiding sun exposure, sunscreen use, attempting to reduce stress, stopping smoking, and conducting cancer selfexams) and their interrelationships in a representative sample of health maintenance organization (HMO) members. The majority of older adults were found to be in either precontemplation or maintenance, illustrating the need to target interventions to precontemplation. Most older individuals were in precontemplation for losing weight and/or sunscreen use and exercise, making these behaviors a priority for intervention research. Possible gateway behaviors to general health could be identified; however, these results are preliminary and require longitudinal follow-up.
Publication Title, e.g., Journal
Gerontologist
Volume
39
Issue
4
Citation/Publisher Attribution
Nigg, Claudio R., Patricia M. Burbank, Cindy Padula, Robert Dufresne, Joseph S. Rossi, Wayne F. Velicer, Robert G. Laforge, and James O. Prochaska. "Stages of change across ten health risk behaviors for older adults." Gerontologist 39, 4 (1999): 473-482. doi: 10.1093/geront/39.4.473.