ABSTRACT

The general concept of tailoring has a certain intuitive appeal. Given a choice between products, services, and information that are made either specifically for you or for no one in particular, most people would probably choose the former. But is there more to recommend tailoring than simply passing the “common sense” test? In this chapter four major reasons for tailoring health information are presented: a theoretical rationale, a public health rationale, a behavioral rationale, and empirical evidence gathered from first generation studies of tailored health communication.