Description of Patients Enrolled in the Action Plan Project (N = 274)
| Variable/Definition | Mean or % (SD) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All enrolled patients (%) (n = 274) | Patients making action plans (%) (n = 228) | Patients not making action plans (%) (n = 46) | |
| CHD risk factors* | |||
| Diabetes | 31 | 32 | 22 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 48 | 49 | 44 |
| Hypertension | 63 | 61 | 70 |
| Overweight | 62 | 64 | 48† |
| Coronary heart disease | 7 | 7 | 9 |
| Smoking | 27 | 28 | 20 |
| Multiple CHD risk factors‡ | 86 | 86 | 87 |
| Age (mean years, SD) | 52 (12.7) | 52 (13.1) | 54 (10.8) |
| Race/ethnicity | |||
| African American | 33 | 35 | 24 |
| White | 30 | 29 | 35 |
| Latino/a | 10 | 10 | 7 |
| Asian American | 16 | 14 | 28† |
| Other | 11 | 12 | 6 |
| Education | |||
| High School or less | 42 | 43 | 39 |
| Clinic setting | |||
| Public | 47 | 46 | 50 |
| Private | 53 | 54 | 50 |
| Health status§ | |||
| Fair or poor | 36 | 36 | 36 |
| Good | 39 | 38 | 43 |
| Very good or excellent | 25 | 26 | 21 |
| Health risk factors‖ | |||
| Physical inactivity (none) | 15 | 15 | 17 |
| Skipped medication (1+ times/week) | 19 | 20 | 13 |
| Few fruits/vegetables (<2 per week) | 31 | 33 | 22 |
| Stage of change¶ | |||
| Precontemplative | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| Contemplative | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Preparation | 22 | 23 | 17 |
| Action/maintenance | 69 | 69 | 68 |
| Self-efficacy** (mean score, SD) | |||
| Health confidence | 8.5 (2.2) | 8.6 (2.1) | 8.2 (2.5) |
| Diet confidence | 7.6 (2.6) | 7.5 (2.7) | 7.8 (2.6) |
| Exercise confidence | 7.0 (2.7) | 6.9 (2.8) | 7.5 (2.5) |
| Worry confidence | 5.7 (3.1) | 5.6 (3.1) | 6.1 (3.1) |
| Stress confidence | 6.6 (3.1) | 6.5 (3.1) | 6.8 (3.2) |
| Help confidence | 8.0 (2.4) | 8.0 (2.3) | 7.8 (3.1) |
| Overall confidence | 8.1 (2.6) | 8.1 (2.6) | 8.1 (2.6) |
* Based on chart review prior to study enrollment using the following criteria: (1) diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia; (2) clinical note indicating patient is overweight or a smoker; (3) recent laboratory report indicating elevated blood pressure (dystolic >90 or systolic >140), elevated low-density lipid (>100) or hemoglobin A1c value >7.0.
† P < .05 for comparisons between patients making action plans (n = 228) and patients not making action plans (n = 46).
‡ Presence of 2 or more CHD risk factors in chart review.
§ Based on the Risk Factor Surveillance System survey.10
‖ In the previous month.
¶ Based on the transtheoretical model.11 Precontemplative: have not made a behavior change in the past 6 months to improve health and are not planning any such changes in the next 6 months. Contemplative: have not made any changes in the past 6 months but are planning to in the next 6 months. Preparation: have made no changes in the past 6 months but plan to in the next 30 days. Action/maintenance: have made changes in the past 6 months to change health-related behaviors.
** Scale 0 to 10. Higher score is better. Responses to: How sure are you that you can (behavior)? Health confidence: do the different tasks and activities needed to manage your illness? Diet confidence: make changes in your diet to improve your health? Exercise confidence: make and stay with a regular exercise program. Worry confidence: keep tiredness, pain, or worry from interfering with things you want to do? Stress confidence: remain calm when faced with difficulties related to your health? Help confidence: find the help you need when having problems with your health or your life? Overall confidence: solve most of your problems if you try hard enough?