Interactive technology attributes in health promotion: Practical and theoretical issues

The application of interactive technologies in health promotion efforts holds many promises, as chapters in this book document. To maximize the overall effectiveness of such efforts, theoretical development in this area has to stay ahead of the curve by developing models that are able to predict which technologies are best suited for which kinds of health promotion efforts. Although it is impossible to know the exact nature of technologies that will emerge as we enter the 21st century, we can, however, refer to the current literature about what humans do with and how they react to specific attributes of technology to make predictions about their potential use in health promotion. As with other media, research in this area will also be concerned with the fundamental question: Who uses them, for what purpose, and with what effect (see, for example, Blumler & Katz’s, 1974, uses and gratifications approach)?.