Promoting Patient Portals: An Application of Social Cognitive Theory to Post-Adoption Patient Portal Use.

Many healthcare clinics encourage the use of online patient portals so that patients can have easier access to their health information, yet some patients are hesitant to interact with these portals. We used social cognitive theory to develop and test a theoretically grounded model that incorporates several (1) technological factors, (2) individual factors, and (3) social factors that influence individuals' post-adoption, active use of patient portals. Based on cross-sectional survey data from a sample of healthcare clinic patients (N = 431), we found that individuals' severity of illness predicted active use of patient portals and that trust in doctors predicted attitudes toward patient portals. Moreover, attitudes toward patient portals mediated the relationship between technology factors (i.e., perceived usefulness, ease of use, customization, and interactivity), and active use of patient portals. The paper concludes with a discussion of key findings, implications, and directions for future research.

Parenting Practices, Autonomous Motivation, and Adolescent Diet Habits.

Guided by self-determination theory, the aim of this study was to examine whether adolescents' autonomous motivation for making healthy diet choices mediates the association between parenting practices regarding diet and adolescent food choices. We analyzed data from the NCI FLASHE study, a survey of demographically diverse parents and their adolescent children (N = 1,646 dyads). Path models supported self-determination theory's assertion that indirect, encouraging parenting practices fostered internal motivation; in contrast, regulation was both positively and negatively linked to motivation depending on the model. Models also yielded direct paths between parenting practices and healthy and unhealthy diet choices. Overall, regardless of what predicted motivation, adolescents' autonomous motivation was linked with their consumption of healthier foods and drinks. As such, cultivating a sense of internal motivation during these formative years may put young people on a path toward healthy patterns of self-regulation later in life.