Online Tailored Interventions & Relational Agents For Exercise And Sun Protection
Wayne F Velicer, Co-director, Cancer Prevention Research
Cancer Prevention Research Ctruniversity Of Rhode Island
Grant 5R01CA119195-02 from National Cancer Institute, IRG: CLHP
Abstract: 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
Project start date: 2007-08-01
Project end date: 2012-07-31
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Grants awarded to Wayne F Velicer
Tailored Interventions To Prevent Substance Abuse
Wayne F Velicer, Co-director, Cancer Prevention Research
Cancer Prevention Research Ctruniversity Of Rhode Island
Grant 5R01DA020112-03 from National Institute On Drug Abuse, IRG: CLHP
Abstract: This proposal is submitted to NIDA in response to the Trans-NIHPA-04-121 (Understanding Mechanisms of Health Risk Behavior Change in Children and Adolescents. This proposal addresses the two primary goals of the Program Announcement (PA) (1) To enhance the understanding of the evolution, prevention and termination of health risk behaviors and (2) The development of effective prevention and intervention strategies designed to maintain healthy behaviors and prevent health risk behaviors, like substance abuse. The overarching objective of this research is to prevent substance use in early adolescents through the use of innovative interactive interventions tailored to each individual´s particular risk profile for using cigarettes and alcohol. Research across age groups (elementary, middle and high school), populations (U.S., U.K., and Israel), and substances (tobacco, alcohol and other drugs) has consistently identified four clusters of non-users who vary in their risks for substance use (1) Most Protected from substance use; (2) High Risk to use substances; (3) Ambivalent about staying substance free; and (4) Risk Denial about substance use. These profiles have demonstrated both internal and external validity as well as good ability to predict future substance use and, therefore, provide an opportunity to develop a new approach to prevention. These profiles will be employed as the basis for designing two innovative computer-based interventions to prevent substance abuse by adolescents. The two new tailored interventions (smoking prevention and alcohol prevention) will be developed and tested in a 2 (Group; treatment vs. Comparison) X 4 (Occasions; 0, 12, 24, and 36 months) school-based clinical trial. The comparison group will receive two previously developed and tested tailored health behavior interventions (diet and sun protection). The specific aims are (1) To demonstrate that early adolescents (6th Grade) receiving profile-based tailored interventions for smoking are significantly more likely to remain free from smoking than a comparison group; (2) To demonstrate that early adolescents receiving profile-based tailored interventions for alcohol use are significantly more likely to remain free from alcohol than a comparison group; and (3) To replicate findings that the tailored diet and sun exposure interventions will be effective in reducing these two high risk behaviors as part of the comparison condition
Keywords: alcohol, prevention, smoking, substance abuse related disorder Israel, age group, alcoholic beverage consumption, base, behavior, children, clinical trial, communication, computer, conditioning, diet, evolution, family, health, health behavior, high risk behavior /lifestyle, model, psychological defense mechanism, school, secondary school, tobacco, tobacco abuse clinical research
Project start date: 2006-07-01
Project end date: 2011-06-30
5R01DA020112-02 (2007): $598948
1R01DA020112-01A1 (2006): $638703
Computerized Population Programs For Three Cancer Risks
Wayne F Velicer, Co-director, Cancer Prevention Research
University Of Rhode Island Research Office Kingston, Ri 028810811
Grant 3R01CA085807-05S1 from National Cancer Institute, IRG: ZRG1
Abstract: The specific aims of this research project are (1) to replicate one of the most effective approaches to behavioral intervention, a series of expert system interventions, for both smoking cessation and reduction of dietary fat on a national sample; (2) to extend the intervention to the reduction of sedentary life style; (3) to develop and assess the effectiveness of an innovative automated counseling intervention, the TLC telecommunications system, applied to the same 3 behavioral risk factors; (4) to compare the effectiveness of the current modular expert system approach with an integrated expert system intervention, and (5) to determine the cost-effectiveness of each of the 3 interventions. All subjects will be at risk for all 3 risk factors and all interventions would intervene on all 3 risk factors simultaneously. The modular expert system intervention involves 3 assessments, each followed by 3 separate feedback reports at 6-month intervals for each of the risk factors. The telecommunications system involves briefer assessments on each risk factor and counseling luring regular telephone contacts over a 12-month period. The integrated expert system intervention involves a single assessment on 3 occasions of all 3 risk factors followed by intervention on all 3 risk factors simultaneously in an attempt to increase efficiency and capitalize on the covariance between the behaviors. All 3 interventions are based on the Transtheoretical Model. The national sample would be 1600 subjects recruited throughout the continental United States using random digit dial telephone methodology. All interventions are designed to impact on a total population and a proactive recruitment procedure will be employed to recruit more than 75 percent of the eligible sample. The design is a 4-group (Control, Modular Expert System intervention, Telecommunications Intervention, Integrated Expert System Intervention) x 3 occasions (0, 12, and 24 months). Each behavioral risk factor will be intervened upon for 12 months and the 3 risk factors will be related simultaneously. The 3 interventions evaluated in this project have the potential to be easily disseminated at low costs to entire populations of at-risk individuals.
Keywords: computer assisted instruction, education evaluation /planning, neoplasm /cancer education, nutrition education, tobacco abuse education, artificial intelligence, cancer prevention, cancer risk, computer human interaction, cost effectiveness, dietary lipid, exercise, lifestyle, nutrition aspect of cancer, saturated fat, smoking, smoking cessation, tobacco abuse, clinical research, human subject, nutrition related tag
Project start date: 2001-09-26
Project end date: 2007-08-31
3R01CA085807-05S1 (2005): $59309
5R01CA085807-05 (2005): $479536
3R01CA085807-04S1 (2004): $57274
5R01CA085807-04 (2004): $493752
5R01CA085807-03 (2003): $771418
5R01CA085807-02 (2002): $883704
1R01CA085807-01A2 (2001): $813357
AUTOMATED POPULATION BASED SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMS
Wayne F Velicer, Co-director, Cancer Prevention Research
Cancer Prevention Research Ctruniversity Of Rhode Island
research Office
kingston, Ri 028810811
Grant 5R01CA071356-04 from National Cancer Institute, IRG: ZRG2
Abstract: The proposed research is designed to develop and evaluate efficacious and cost-effective combinations of behavioral interventions and Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation. NRT has been demonstrated to be effective but has been used by only a small percentage of the smokers. In contrast, population based interventions with proactive recruitment and stage matched interventions have the potential to reach more than 80 percent of the population. The proposed research will combine NRT with two recently developed, highly effective behavioral interventions that employ digital technology to produce individualized, low cost interventions. These interventions have the potential to both increase the proportion of smokers who receive NRT and the effectiveness or NRT. Expert System interventions based on the Transtheoretical Model have demonstrated effectiveness in two population-based studies without NRT. Telecommunications represents a low cost method of providing high frequency always available automated counseling services to smokers. The proposed study is a population based clinical trial with 2200 smokers proactively recruited from a large VA system and randomly assigned to one of four conditions, varying from minimal intervention to high intensity. The conditions include (1) Minimal Intervention, which involves only stage-matched manuals; (2) NRT Alone, which provides NRT with only manuals; (3) Expert System, which combines NRT, the Expert System and Manuals; and (4) Telecommunications, which combines the previous interventions with an automated telephone counseling intervention. In the three NRT conditions, NRT will be provided only to those smokers for whom it is appropriate. A goal of the behavioral interventions is to increase the proportion of the smokers who receive NRT. Data analysis will identify the most efficacious interventions in preparation for dissemination to entire population. Stage matched, interactive, and proactive interventions that match behavioral and pharmacological elements to the individual smoker have the potential to produce unprecedented impacts on an entire population of smokers
Keywords: counseling, drug abuse chemotherapy, drug abuse therapy, health behavior, human therapy evaluation, nicotine, smoking cessation clinical trial phase II /III /IV, computer assisted patient care, outcomes research, self help, telecommunication behavioral /social science research tag, clinical research, human subject
Project start date: 1997-09-30
Project end date: 2002-07-31
5R01CA071356-04 (2000): $484242
5R01CA071356-03 (1999): $496210
1R01CA071356-01A1 (1997): $813620
Online Tailored Interventions & Relational Agents For Exercise And Sun Protection
Wayne F Velicer, Co-director, Cancer Prevention Research
Cancer Prevention Research Ctruniversity Of Rhode Island
Grant 5R01CA119195-02 from National Cancer Institute, IRG: CLHP
Abstract: 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
Project start date: 2007-08-01
Project end date: 2012-07-31
1R01CA119195-01A2 (2007): $564609
Wayne F Velicer, Co-director, Cancer Prevention Research
University Of Rhode Island Research Office Kingston, Ri 028810811
Grant 5P01CA050087-109001 from National Cancer Institute, IRG:
Abstract: The Evaluation Core (EC) will be a centralized group that provides data gathering, data management, design consultation, measure development and statistical analysis to all projects involved in the CPRU competitive renewal application. The telephone survey center will produce a recruitment sample of over 13,000 subjects from a screening sample of over 27,000 subjects from three separate sources. Subjects will be intervened upon a home-based intervention and/or one of three other separate channels for intervention (Schools, Worksites, Health Care Provider office). Subjects will be resurveyed three times at twelve month intervals. The subjects will be resurveyed by a mail questionnaire. An estimated 60% who do not respond to the mail questionnaire will be resurveyed by a phone interview. The evaluation core will be responsible for the following functions (1) supervise subject recruitment; (2) perform telephone recruitment and follow-up; (3) perform the mail survey for follow-up; (4) consult on the development or adaptation of measurement instruments; (5) perform and supervise data management; (6) advise on design implementation; (7) perform statistical analysis of outcome measures; (8) perform statistical analysis of process assessment; and (9) perform cost effectiveness analyses.
Keywords: biomedical facility, computer data analysis, health survey, statistics /biometry, data collection methodology /evaluation, psychometrics, human subject
Project start date: 1998-05-27
Project end date: 2000-04-30
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