Underserved patients' choice of kiosk-based preventive health information

Compliance with health promotion recommendations falls short of expectations nearly every time it is studied. Some of the most successful programs, however, focus on the patient and incorporate computers.

Interactive kiosks in waiting rooms of clinics for the medically underserved were used to educate patients about alcohol consumption, exercise, smoking cessation, and weight control.

Kiosks were accessed 11,401 times. Users averaged 40 years old, and most had at least a high school education and an average body mass index (BMI) of 29.8. Sixty percent were white, and 64% were women. Weight control garnered the most interest followed by smoking cessation. Those overweight and men with sleep disorders were more interested in weight control. Smokers and depressed women were most interested in smoking cessation. Men who were older, Latino, or had high blood pressure and women who were overweight were most interested in exercise. Those interested most in alcohol consumption were men who were white, drink alcohol, or married and women who were younger, single, black, Latino, or smoke.

These results add to our understanding of underserved populations and individuals who might be more receptive to preventive health interventions so that educational efforts might be more likely to result in behavior change.