The potential variances of tailoring in health behavior interventions

The success of tailored print communications depends upon having a sufficiently diverse inventory of both content messages and delivery formats to respond to important differences among individuals. This article discusses means by which this diversity--the variances of tailoring--may be developed. One of the foundations of tailoring is the definition of a "focal point" for intervention. A focal point is characterized by a simultaneous combination of variables which specify a population group of interest, a target health behavior, and a setting in which the behavior occurs. All persons defined by the focal point may receive some intervention in common (i.e. targeted intervention). Tailored content responds to individuals within the focal point, based upon the antecedents of behavior within that focal point. This article elaborates on the focal point concept and then discusses factors that contribute to variations of tailoring. The psychosocial resources required by health behaviors are also reviewed, because tailoring must prepare the individual to make changes specific to the nature of a particular health behavior. This article does not specify what the variations of tailoring should be; the potential diversity of tailored messages is too great. Instead, the article presents basic elements that will go into the development of tailored interventions.