Measuring motivation using the transtheoretical (stages of change) model: A follow-up study of people who failed an online hearing screening

Abstract

Objective: Acceptance and readiness to seek professional help have shown to be important factors for favourable audiological rehabilitation outcomes. Theories from health psychology such as the transtheoretical (stages-of-change) model could help understand behavioural change in people with hearing impairment. In recent studies, the University of Rhode Island change assessment (URICA) has been found to have good predictive validity. Design: In a previous study, 224 Swedish adults who had failed an online hearing screening completed URICA and two other measures of stages of change. This follow-up aimed to: (1) determine prevalence of help-seeking at a hearing clinic and hearing aid uptake, and (2) explore the predictive validity of the stages of change measures by a follow-up on the 224 participants who had failed a hearing screening 18 months previously. Study sample: A total of 122 people (54%) completed the follow-up online questionnaire, including the three measures and questions regarding experience with hearing help-seeking and hearing aid uptake. Results: Since failing the online hearing screening, 61% of participants had sought help. A good predictive validity for a one-item measure of stages of change was reported. Conclusions: The Staging algorithm was the stages of change measure with the best ability to predict help-seeking 18 months later.

Key Words:

• Hearing screening
• motivation
• stages of change
• behavioural change
• hearing help-seeking
• hearing aid uptake

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Carl Åke Farbring for sharing his Swedish translation of the URICA, Peter Nordqvist and Peter Molander for assistance with participant recruitment, screening implementation, and data collection as part of the online hearing screening, and Hugo Hesser for statistical advice. The authors acknowledge the valuable input of Sophie Månsson, Elicia Volt, and Katarina Wojtania to this study. This study was partially funded by a program grant from the Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (2009-0055).

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.