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Development of a Planning and Evaluation Methodology for Assessing the Contribution of Theory to a Diabetes Prevention Lifestyle Intervention

Department of Family and Community Medicine and School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Arlana Bobo Peterson, MPH

Research, Development and Accountability Department of Albuquerque Public Schools, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Janice Thompson, PhD

Department of Exercise and Health Sciences at the University of Bristol, in Bristol, England

Shannon Fluder, BA

Office of Evaluation, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, New Mexico

The benefits of utilizing and measuring application of theory for behavior change programs are numerous, including the emergence of new theories and theoretically bound strategies. Despite recent attempts to make theory use more salient, there remains a dearth of practical frameworks for the development and evaluation of theory-based programs. Without literature documenting how theories have been specifically applied to interventions and their evaluation, health educators may not be well prepared to utilize theory for the design, implementation, or as a focus of the evaluation. Using a case study example of a diabetes prevention program, this article describes how theory was used for the program design and the evaluation and provides a framework for using theory in other programs. Issues discussed include: the challenges in successfully utilizing theory for intervention development and the processes of developing theoretically based instruments.

Key Words: theory-based programs • behavior change • diabetes • evaluation

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This version was published on October 1, 2008

Health Promotion Practice, Vol. 9, No. 4, 404-414 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1524839906289076


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Helitzer, D. Articles by Fluder, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Helitzer, D. Articles by Fluder, S. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?