Health Education Research, Vol. 14, No. 5, 641-651,
October 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press
A critical examination of the application of the Transtheoretical Model's stages of change to dietary behaviours
School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT and
1 Institute of Food Research, Reading Laboratory, Reading RG6 6BZ, UK
This paper proposes that the application of the Transtheoretical Model's stages of change to dietary behaviours may be fundamentally problematic due to the difference in nature between dietary behaviours and the addictive behaviours upon which the model was originally based. It was considered that specific problems associated with stage categorization for dietary change would include: problems due to the potential mismatch between a person's perceived and actual dietary behaviour; and problems due to the use of specific time periods to distinguish between different stages. A total of 541 volunteers completed questionnaires that measured their stage of change with respect to one of three dietary behaviours (healthy eating, eating a low-fat diet, and eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day). Results indicate that people who were actively making a change (actors) or maintaining a change (maintainers) had done so for a range of different periods of time, with no specific cut-off point being evident. Also, more realistic stage categorizations were evident for the most specific dietary behaviours where there was least likelihood of a mismatch between perceived and actual dietary behaviour. Problems associated with issues of operationalization of the model and the application of the stage model to dietary change are discussed.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  S. Salmela, M. Poskiparta, K. Kasila, K. Vahasarja, and M. Vanhala Transtheoretical model-based dietary interventions in primary care: a review of the evidence in diabetes Health Educ. Res., April 1, 2009; 24(2): 237 - 252. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Liddle, G. Carlson, and K. McKenna Using a Matrix in Life Transition Research Qual Health Res, December 1, 2004; 14(10): 1396 - 1417. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Paul and N. V. Sneed Strategies for Behavior Change in Patients With Heart Failure Am. J. Crit. Care., July 1, 2004; 13(4): 305 - 313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. Resnicow, F. McCarty, and T. Baranowski Are precontemplators less likely to change their dietary behavior? A prospective analysis Health Educ. Res., December 1, 2003; 18(6): 693 - 705. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. V. Sneed and S. C. Paul Readiness for Behavioral Changes in Patients With Heart Failure Am. J. Crit. Care., September 1, 2003; 12(5): 444 - 453. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Marttila and R. Nupponen Assessing Stage of Change for physical activity: how congruent are parallel methods? Health Educ. Res., August 1, 2003; 18(4): 419 - 428. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. H. John, P. L. Yudkin, H. A. W. Neil, and S. Ziebland Does Stage of Change predict outcome in a primary-care intervention to encourage an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption? Health Educ. Res., August 1, 2003; 18(4): 429 - 438. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|