On-Line to Healthy Weighs: Employed women's responses to electronic messages on weight management

Eight short messages on weight management were sent to female university employees to assess their responses to use of electronic mail (e-mail) compared to fact sheets sent by campus mail. An evaluation questionnaire was completed by 181 women (mean age 48 +/- 13 years) who had received the 4-week "On-Line to Healthy Weighs" series. Forty-one percent of respondents reported that their knowledge increased "a little bit" while 42% indicated that the messages reinforced what they already knew. Respondents reported adopting an average of 2.5 +/- 2.2 out of 6 diet and exercise behaviors promoted by the messages. Rate of adoption was not significantly related to delivery method. Of the women who received campus mail messages as well as weekly e-mail "bytes" of additional information, 39% agreed that they would "rather read electronic mail about healthy eating than printed fact sheets"; 29% were neutral, and 32% disagreed.