A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge

mHealth apps can promote behavior change to prevent heart disease. This study examined the efficacy of an 8-week theory-based mHealth intervention to promote heart disease preventive behaviors. The BaseMetrics app was designed using the Health Belief Model to improve users’ understanding of heart di...

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Main Authors: Jai Hariprasad Rajendran, Bryant H. Keirns, Ashlea Braun, Sydney Walstad, Isabel Ultzsch, Jamie Baham, Abagail Rosebrook, Sam R. Emerson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Sci
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2413-4155/7/2/71
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author Jai Hariprasad Rajendran
Bryant H. Keirns
Ashlea Braun
Sydney Walstad
Isabel Ultzsch
Jamie Baham
Abagail Rosebrook
Sam R. Emerson
author_facet Jai Hariprasad Rajendran
Bryant H. Keirns
Ashlea Braun
Sydney Walstad
Isabel Ultzsch
Jamie Baham
Abagail Rosebrook
Sam R. Emerson
author_sort Jai Hariprasad Rajendran
collection DOAJ
description mHealth apps can promote behavior change to prevent heart disease. This study examined the efficacy of an 8-week theory-based mHealth intervention to promote heart disease preventive behaviors. The BaseMetrics app was designed using the Health Belief Model to improve users’ understanding of heart disease and its risk factors to promote behavior change. In this proof-of-concept intervention with no control group, twenty-two participants (14F/8M; age 51 ± 8 years) received access to the BaseMetrics app for 8 weeks. Biological, behavioral, and self-assessed heart disease risk and knowledge were measured pre- and post-intervention. At post-intervention, significant improvements were seen in self-reported fruit and vegetable intake (+1.1 servings/day) and skin carotenoids (+28 a.u.). Self-tracked activity decreased (−665 steps/day). No other outcomes were significantly different. Non-significant improvements with small-to-moderate effect sizes were observed in triglycerides, energy expenditure, knowledge, perceived risk, and perceived benefits of diet and exercise. Conversely, non-significant deteriorations with small-to-moderate effect sizes were observed for total cholesterol, LDL, and AST. This study yielded preliminary findings suggesting the benefits of the BaseMetrics mobile app for heart disease prevention. The results must be validated in a larger randomized controlled trial.
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spelling doaj-art-e7341fe03b8f41e4b6289551fb6f234b2025-08-20T02:21:50ZengMDPI AGSci2413-41552025-06-01727110.3390/sci7020071A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease KnowledgeJai Hariprasad Rajendran0Bryant H. Keirns1Ashlea Braun2Sydney Walstad3Isabel Ultzsch4Jamie Baham5Abagail Rosebrook6Sam R. Emerson7Cowboy Enterprises, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Nutrition and Health Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USATSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma, OK 73104, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USADepartment of Nutritional Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USAmHealth apps can promote behavior change to prevent heart disease. This study examined the efficacy of an 8-week theory-based mHealth intervention to promote heart disease preventive behaviors. The BaseMetrics app was designed using the Health Belief Model to improve users’ understanding of heart disease and its risk factors to promote behavior change. In this proof-of-concept intervention with no control group, twenty-two participants (14F/8M; age 51 ± 8 years) received access to the BaseMetrics app for 8 weeks. Biological, behavioral, and self-assessed heart disease risk and knowledge were measured pre- and post-intervention. At post-intervention, significant improvements were seen in self-reported fruit and vegetable intake (+1.1 servings/day) and skin carotenoids (+28 a.u.). Self-tracked activity decreased (−665 steps/day). No other outcomes were significantly different. Non-significant improvements with small-to-moderate effect sizes were observed in triglycerides, energy expenditure, knowledge, perceived risk, and perceived benefits of diet and exercise. Conversely, non-significant deteriorations with small-to-moderate effect sizes were observed for total cholesterol, LDL, and AST. This study yielded preliminary findings suggesting the benefits of the BaseMetrics mobile app for heart disease prevention. The results must be validated in a larger randomized controlled trial.https://www.mdpi.com/2413-4155/7/2/71mHealthcardiovascular diseasemobile applicationsbehavior changedietphysical activity
spellingShingle Jai Hariprasad Rajendran
Bryant H. Keirns
Ashlea Braun
Sydney Walstad
Isabel Ultzsch
Jamie Baham
Abagail Rosebrook
Sam R. Emerson
A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge
Sci
mHealth
cardiovascular disease
mobile applications
behavior change
diet
physical activity
title A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge
title_full A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge
title_fullStr A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge
title_full_unstemmed A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge
title_short A Novel App-Based Mobile Health Intervention for Improving Prevention Behaviors and Cardiovascular Disease Knowledge
title_sort novel app based mobile health intervention for improving prevention behaviors and cardiovascular disease knowledge
topic mHealth
cardiovascular disease
mobile applications
behavior change
diet
physical activity
url https://www.mdpi.com/2413-4155/7/2/71
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