Multiple Behavior Change Internet Program for Colleges

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, and poor stress management habits are started in adolescence and have been shown to initiate or promote chronic diseases. Well-designed health promotion programs are needed to assist college students in shaping a foundation of healthy behaviors. This Phase I application proposes the development of a multiple behavior change program for health promotion for college students that can be delivered at low cost over the Internet. As heavy users of the Internet, college students are an ideal population to test the Internet as a health promotion delivery channel. Individualized, interactive, multimedia programs based on the Transtheortetical Model and delivered by colleges to their students will have the potential to produce unprecedented impacts on three of the most risky and costly behaviors, namely diet, exercise and stress management. These programs will be designed to meet the needs of students in each Stage of Change and not just the small minority prepared to take action. Internet based expert system interventions for the three behaviors will be modified and evaluated by consultants, key informants, focus groups, and pilot participants to test the feasibility and acceptability of the programs.