Written Behavioural Persuasion Technique Intervention for Hypertension Management

Effectiveness of Written Behavioural Persuasion Technique Intervention for Hypertension Management Among The Untreated Hypertension Population of The Community Observatory in Segamat, Johor: a 2-arm Randomised Controlled Trial Within Cohort

This study aims to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of written behavioural persuasion techniques intervention to encourage treatment initiation and follow-up for hypertension management among the untreated hypertension population of the SEACO cohort.

Each household is given a unique identifier called house_id in the SEACO database. The randomisation will be computer-generated according to their house_id with a ratio of 1:1. During the house visit, participants' blood pressure will be taken three times, and the final reading will be the average of the second and third readings. Participants will be assessed based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, i.e., age 35 years and above, blood pressure reading and reported not being diagnosed with or treated for hypertension. At the end of the house visit, all participants will receive a standard referral leaflet, and participants randomised to the intervention group will receive an additional written behavioural persuasion leaflet.

Additional written behavioural persuasive technique leaflet and a standard referral leaflet provided at the end of the home-based health screening.

Time taken (week) for participants to go see a doctor because of high blood pressure after receiving the leaflet

Participants' self-reported blood pressure status during the visit to the clinic/doctor (low, normal, high)

12-item Health Literacy is a validated, self-reported instrument used to measure health literacy (HL). The index value for HL is obtained where 0 represents the lowest HL and 50 the highest HL

Participants in the intervention group will be asked if they remember receiving the intervention leaflet and if they find the leaflet useful to motivate them to go to the doctor for their high blood pressure. One open-ended question is added to ask which aspect of the intervention leaflet encourages them to see the doctor for high blood pressure.

Inclusion Criteria: Age 35 and above Systolic blood pressure equal to or more than 140 mmHg Diastolic blood pressure equal to or more than 90 mmHg reported not being diagnosed with hypertension OR not being treated for hypertension Exclusion Criteria: Involve in other research projects decline to participate/reject

There is no plan to make IPD available. The MUHREC requirement to comply with the term "Retention and storage of data - The Chief Investigator is responsible for the storage and retention of the original data pertaining to the project for a minimum period of five years".

Duong TV, Aringazina A, Kayupova G, Nurjanah, Pham TV, Pham KM, Truong TQ, Nguyen KT, Oo WM, Su TT, Majid HA, Sorensen K, Lin IF, Chang Y, Yang SH, Chang PWS. Development and Validation of a New Short-Form Health Literacy Instrument (HLS-SF12) for the General Public in Six Asian Countries. Health Lit Res Pract. 2019 Apr 10;3(2):e91-e102. doi: 10.3928/24748307-20190225-01. eCollection 2019 Apr.