Recently some new and exciting papers on the impact of computer-tailored health education were published. Computer-tailored health education is a way to use ICT to mimic personal health behaviour counselling. Computer-tailoring programs use (electronic) questionnaires to assess respondents' health behaviours and behavioural determinants and provide tailored, personalised and individualised feedback and advice. Computer-tailoring was originally applied with paper-and-pen questionnaires and print feedback, and a systematic review of the literature clearly indicates that this form of health education is superior to more traditional, generic forms of health education (see Kroeze, Werkman & Brug, Ann Beh Med 2007;31:205-223). More recently studies have been conducted and reported that applied web-based tailoring (see for example Brug et al. Eur J Clin Nutr 2005;59:S130-S137) and applied computer-tailoring among various target populations, such as children and adolesents. Leen Haerens of Ghent University recently published one of the first papers to test school-based computer-tailored nutrition education among adolescents. Her study published in Public Health Nutrition (2007;10:443-449) indicates that computer-tailored education alone is not enough.
Corneel Vandelanotte published a paper in Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2007;33:213-219) that for the first time reports a study on the longer-term (2 year follow-up) of his diet and physical activity computer-tailored intervention. His study indicates that effects of computer-tailoring can be sustained. (see www.leefgezondcoach.nl for a Dutch example of a web-based computer-tailored life style intervention for diabetes prevention).
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