Online Tailored Interventions & Relational Agents for Exercise and Sun Protection

描述（由申请人提供）：该研究项目的总体目标是修订和增强基于多媒体计算机的多风险因素干预措施，以预防癌症，利用互联网覆盖普通人群。将开发两种创新的、个性化的、易于传播的、低成本的、互动的干预措施，并针对多种行为（防晒和锻炼），并与对照条件进行比较。第一个干预措施涉及使我们有效的多媒体专家系统干预措施适应互联网环境。第二种干预措施建立在第一种干预措施的基础上，增加了关系代理，这是一种最近开发的基于计算机的方法，用于建立互联网网站上通常缺少的个人关系。两个系统都将采用相同的行为改变理论模型，即跨理论模型作为深层知识，并且所有系统都将采用基于经验的决策规则。该设计为 3 组（控制、互联网、互联网加关系代理）x 3 个场合（0、12、24 个月），在前 12 个月内进行干预。将招募具有这两种行为风险的 1639 名具有代表性的全国样本。主要目标是： (1) 针对全国样本制定量身定制的互联网干预措施并评估其有效性； (2) 制定并评估由关系代理人增强的互联网干预的有效性； (3) 确定关系代理的干预是否可以优于常规定制的互联网干预。次要目标是：（1）确定这两种干预措施对每种行为和不同亚组的效果是否存在差异，以及（2）确定关系主体干预措施是否更常用于增加运动而不是防晒。这项研究针对癌症的两个主要危险因素；旨在使用主动招募策略来处理基于人群的行为；同时干预多种行为，从而对癌症预防产生更大的影响；利用最有前途的方法之一，即互联网，对基于人口的低成本干预措施进行与健康相关的行为改变；并开发和测试一种有前景的新方法，以提高基于互联网的干预措施（关系代理）的利用率和有效性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching goal of this research project is to revise and enhance a multimedia computer-based multiple risk factor intervention for cancer prevention, using the internet to reach a general population. Two innovative, individualized, easily disseminated, low-cost, and interactive interventions, both for multiple behaviors (sun protection and exercise adoption), will be developed and evaluated in comparison to a control condition. The first intervention involves adapting our effective multimedia expert system interventions to the internet environment. The second intervention builds on the first with the additional inclusion of a Relational Agent, a recently developed computer-based approach to establishing a personal relationship typically missing on internet sites. Both systems will employ the same theoretical model of behavior change, the Transtheoretical Model, as the deep knowledge, and all systems will employ empirically based decision rules. The design is a 3 Group (Control, Internet, Internet plus Relational Agent) x 3 Occasions (0, 12, 24 Months) with intervention occurring during the first 12 months. A representative national sample of 1639 individuals at risk for both behaviors will be recruited. The primary aims are: (1) To develop and assess the effectiveness of a tailored internet intervention on a national sample; (2) To develop and assess the effectiveness of the internet intervention enhanced by a relational agent; and (3) To determine if the intervention with the relational agent can outperform the regular tailored internet intervention. The secondary aims are: (1) To determine if the two interventions are differentially effective with each behavior and with different subgroups, and (2) To determine if the relational agent intervention is utilized more often for increasing exercise than for sun protection. This study targets two major risk factors for cancer; is designed to treat the behaviors on a population basis, using proactive recruitment strategies; intervenes on multiple behaviors simultaneously, thereby producing greater impacts for cancer prevention; utilizes one of the most promising approaches to low cost population based interventions for health-related behavior change, namely the internet; and develops and tests a promising new approach to increasing the utilization and effectiveness of internet-based interventions, relational agents.