Peter, for an inventory of measurement tools, you may wish to look at URI's
site at  http://www.uri.edu/research/cprc/measures.htm.
You will note the General Health Survey (1991) under the "other" category
assesses a number of health behaviours to identify ones where people are
most ready to make change.

The criterion for measurement varies depending on behaviour, so it is very
difficult to have a tool that applies to "any area of personal behaviour."
One common mistake of practitioners is to leave the criterion too vague.
The time frame (i.e., not intending to change in the next 6 months) may also
change depending on the behaviour in question (varying from a year, 6
months, 3 months, to an hour).  Thus, you may wish to shy away from a
"generic" assessment tool, and use a multi-behavioural assessment tool.

In Hamilton, we have used some questions slightly different from the URI
ones (particularly for physical activity) based on work done by other US
researchers.

If I can help in any way, please contact me directly.

Regards,

Tracey
__________________________________________________________
Tracey E. Taylor.  B.A., M.A.Sc.
Program Manager, Healthy Lifestyles & Disease Prevention
Social & Public Health Services, City of Hamilton
Ph: (905) 546-3573   Fx: (905) 546-3658   [log in to unmask]

Office Location:
1447 Upper Ottawa St., Hamilton

Mailing Address:
71 Main St. West, Hamilton, ON  L8P 4Y5 (Upper Ottawa Office)
__________________________________________________________

-----Original Message-----
From: O'Donnell, Peter [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: January 22, 2001 4:53 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Stages of Change - Generic Assessment Tools


> I'm interested in finding some simple 'generic' assessment
> tools/strategies related to Stages of Change theory. I've found
> instruments with a focus on smoking cessation and physical activity, but
> I'd like to know what's out there (if anything) that is designed for
> individuals to apply to any area of personal behaviour change that they're
> interested in. Also, are there any tools for helping people identify the
> areas life where they are most 'ready' to make a commitment to change?
>
> I'm pretty familiar with the theoretical base, so that isn't going to be
> as helpful as finding some specific tools or methods.
>
> Thanks for your help,
>
> Peter O'Donnell