A Text Message Intervention to Promote Health Behaviors in Cardiac Risk Conditions
Hyperlipemia, Hypertension, Type2 Diabetes
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Hyperlipemia focused on measuring text message intervention, health behavior change, positive psychology
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Cardiac risk conditions. Participants will have two or more of hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. Patients will have met 2+ of 2017 AHA-ACC criteria for hypertension (SBP ≥130, DBP ≥80), 2018 ADA criteria for type-2 diabetes (e.g., A1C ≥6.5%), and 2013 AHA-ACC criteria for hyperlipidemia (e.g., LDL cholesterol ≥190), via medical record review, with confirmation by healthcare providers as needed.
- Low physical activity or elevated sedentary leisure time (SLT). Low activity will be defined as ≤150 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA), which is an ADA-recommended level of MVPA; elevated SLT will be ≥120 min/day, which is linked to adverse medical health. As initial screens for both MVPA and SLT, we will use the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Patients reporting ≤150 min/week of MVPA or ≥120 min/day of SLT will wear accelerometers for 10 days to confirm low MVPA/high SLT (patients will indicate their leisure time hours to allow assessment of SLT during those hours).
- Suboptimal diet. Participants must also report either fewer than 5 daily servings of fruit/vegetables (measured by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System's [BRFSS] Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Module) or have a score of ≥70 on the MEDFICTS scale for fat/cholesterol intake, representing high risk. We will require diet and activity deficits to ensure that a broad range of messages will be relevant to every participant as we explore the utility of individual messages and patterns of message selection in this initial study.
- Ability to receive text messages. Participants must have a cellular phone that receives texts and that they use at least daily. We will remunerate them the cost of receiving the messages as needed.
- Ability to read in English or Spanish. Text messages will be available in English and Spanish.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Existing coronary artery disease (CAD; diagnosed via cardiac catheterization using standard coronary artery stenosis definitions or prior ACS).
- An unrelated condition limiting physical activity.
- Participation in programs focused on cardiac prevention or well-being (e.g., cardiac rehabilitation).
- A cognitive disturbance precluding participation or informed consent, assessed using a six-item screen designed to assess suitability for research participation.
Sites / Locations
- Massachusetts General Hospital
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Other
Text Message Intervention (TMI)
Wait-list Control Group (WLC)
Participants in the TMI condition will receive daily text messages through an adaptive algorithm plus separate twice-weekly tailored messages focused on a specific health goal.
Waitlist Control group participants will begin to receive the full 12-week Text Message Intervention (with all components, e.g., phone check-ins) after completing follow-up assessments at Weeks 12 and 24. Participants in this group will receive no text messages or other study-specific interventions during the first 24 weeks of the study.