Risky business: the effects of an individualized health information intervention on health risk perceptions and leisure time physical activity among people with spinal cord injury.

Background: Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are at an increased risk for inactivity-related diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. According to protection motivation theory, perceptions of disease risk predict motivation to engage in health-protective behaviors such as leisure time physical activity (LTPA).

Objective: The purposes of this study were to (1) examine changes in perceived risk for disease following an individualized health information intervention and (2) examine changes in perceived risk for disease as a predictor of changes in LTPA.

Determinants of physical activity among people with spinal cord injury: a test of social cognitive theory.

Background: Little theory-based research has focused on understanding and increasing physical activity among people with physical disabilities. Testing a social cognitive theory-based model of determinants is important for identifying variables to target in physical activity-enhancing interventions.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine Social Cognitive Theory variables as predictors of physical activity among people living with spinal cord injury.

A systematic review of three approaches for constructing physical activity messages: What messages work and what improvements are needed?

Background: To motivate individuals to adhere to a regular physical activity regime, guidelines must be supplemented with persuasive messages that are disseminated widely. While substantial research has examined effective strategies for disseminating physical activity messages, there has been no systematic effort to examine optimal message content. This paper reviews studies that evaluate the effectiveness of three approaches for constructing physical activity messages including tailoring messages to suit individual characteristics of message recipients (message tailoring), framing messages in terms of gains versus losses (message framing), and targeting messages to affect change in self-efficacy (i.