The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69134

Craig Ravesloot, PhD and Melody Huskey, MA. Rural Institute on Disabilites, University of Montana, 52 Corbin Hall, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, 406-243-2447, raves@selway.umt.edu

Healthy People 2010 makes it abundantly clear that many people with disabilities could benefit from engaging in health promotion to improve health status. To this end, health educators and behavioral scientists have developed interventions for helping people with disabilities make lifestyle changes capable of affecting health status. One significant problem with implementing these interventions is attracting significant proportions of people with disabilities into health promotion services. This study recruited a cohort of Medicaid beneficiaries living in Missoula County Montana who were identified in the Medicaid administrative data as receiving other financial assistance based on disability status (e.g. Medicaid Waiver recipient). Individuals who were willing and eligible to participate in the study (n=224) were randomly assigned either to receive a series of three recruitment newsletters or a telephone call from one of the research staff who was trained to use Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques. Results indicated that MI techniques were over three times as effective for recruiting participants into an exercise program as the newsletter series (odds ratio = 3.6, 95% CI = 1.6 to 8.2; p = .002). Results are discussed in terms of the trans theoretical model of behavior change and motivational interviewing techniques used with people who have disabilities. Implications for increasing participation in health promotion programming are also discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. List the major tenets of motivational interviewing as they were applied to people with disabilities in this study
• 2. List the stages of change in the trans theoretical model of change as it is applied to exercise behavior
• 3. Describe the difference between passive and active marketing strategies employed in this study

Keywords: Marketing, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.