Development and Validation of a Scale of Propensity for Change in Chronic Disease Prevention

Modifiable risk factors are estimated to account for 70% of cardiovascular diseases, 40% of Alzheimer's-type dementias, and 50% of type 2 diabetes cases. Numerous trials have evaluated interventions aimed at modifying these risk factors, whether through the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices (diet, physical activity, etc.) or specific activities (cognitive training, etc.). However, these trials have yielded inconsistent or modest results, potentially due to a failure to adopt the recommended lifestyle changes. To better tailor prevention interventions, it is therefore essential to have scales available that measure the barriers to and facilitators of lifestyle change.

The aim of this study is to develop and validate a Patient-Reported Outcome Measure (PROM) to assess the barriers to and facilitators of change following participation in a prevention program. The scale will be structured into three sub-scales (capability, opportunity, and motivation), administered one month after the prevention activity, and will distinguish between the adoption of new habits and the abandonment of existing ones.