Understanding how people process health information: A comparison of tailored and nontailored weight-loss materials

Health information tailored to meet individuals' unique needs has been show n to be more effective than generic information in promoting risk-reducing behavior changes. To explore mechanisms underlying tailoring's effectivenes s, this study randomly assigned 198 overweight adults to receive weight-los s materials that were (a) tailored to the individual, (b) in an American He art Association (AHA) brochure, or (c) AHA-content formatted to look like t ailored materials. Participants who received tailored materials had more po sitive thoughts about the materials, positive personal connections to the m aterials, positive self-assessment thoughts, and positive thoughts indicati ng behavioral intention than those who received either of the untailored ma terials. The tailoring of health information can significantly improve the chances the information will be thoughtfully considered and can stimulate p rebehavioral changes such as self-assessment and intention.