Author: Shoko Nakamae, BA, MA, Ph.D (2013)
Primary Advisor: Juliana Brixey, PhD MPH RN
Committee Members: Noriaki Aoki, MD, PhD
Masters thesis, The University of Texas School of Biomedical Informatics at Houston.
Abstract:
I have developed a health promotion program called the "e -health community" which consists of both online and off-line activities. The approach of this program is to develop a citizen centric health community for sustainable health promotion activities in the local community. I have provided an online diet record system and off-line physical activity and cooking sessions. To clarify the effect of this program, I conducted questionnaires about Internet usage, lifestyle habits and self-rated sense of achievement to 49 newly joined participants during 2009 and 2011. Self-rated sense of achievement regarding dietary understanding and dietary sense of control significantly increased in a group that utilized the online diet record system. Further analysis shows that the usage of the diet record system affects the self rated sense of achievement , but neither age, sex, answers of the preliminary questionnaire nor session participation had any effect.