SELF-EFFICACY AS A PREDICTOR OF DIETARY CHANGE IN A LOW-SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS SOUTHERN ADULT-POPULATION

There is an increasing emphasis on designing health promotion interven tions for low-socioeconomic-status (SES) individuals. However, many pr eviously developed behavior change tools have not been tested in this population. Self-efficacy was measured at pre- and postintervention as part of a randomized clinical trial to reduce cholesterol levels in r ural low-SES Southern adults. A 22-item scale was designed and validat ed to measure subjects' confidence in their abilities to make dietary changes. High mean self-efficacy was noted in both control and interve ntion subjects at pre- and postintervention. Mean self-efficacy score was a significant predictor of dietary change at both preintervention and postintervention. This study demonstrates that self-efficacy is a predictor of ability to make dietary changes in a low-SES rural popula tion. This finding is of significance to researchers and practitioners wishing to design theory-based health promotion interventions in this population.