Public health priorities have shifted towards disease prevention, emphasising health promotion and lifestyle interventions to reduce disease burden. Despite global efforts, the prevalence of chronic diseases remains high, with lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, diet, smoking, obesity, and sedentary behaviour playing significant roles. In Singapore, suboptimal lifestyle behaviours are common, contributing to a high incidence of chronic conditions. Metabolic syndrome (MetS), linked to obesity, poses a growing societal burden due to its association with cardiovascular risks. Disparities exist in the delivery of lifestyle interventions among healthcare providers (HCPs), with many patients receiving inadequate guidance. Digital health coaching, incorporating wearable technology, offers promising solutions to bridge these gaps, providing personalised, real-time support and feedback to improve lifestyle behaviours and prevent disease progression. Challenges such as time constraints, lack of feedback, and limited support can be addressed through remote monitoring and tailored interventions, making scalable population-level interventions feasible.
21-75 years old
Elevated blood pressure
Overweight (BMI>=23kg/m2)
Pre-diabetes, OR
Patients who have a medical condition that prevented participation in physical activity
Patients who have current diagnosis or history of eating disorder, depression
Patients who are currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 6 months
Patients who are currently participating in a weight loss programme (commercial, medically supervised, or research study)
Parallel
Smart watch
DeviceParticipants are required to wear the study issued smart watch for at least 8 hours a day during the intervention period and are encouraged to wear it beyond the study intervention period.
Dashboard with nudging system
BehavioralNudges will be sent to participants' smart watch/mobile application with messages that are designed to motivate them to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Digital Health Coach (DHC)
DeviceParticipants will be assigned to a DHC and the DHC will be providing them with remote health coaching assistance for a duration of 6 months, upon successful enrolment.
Changes in physical activity level
Change in physical activity level will be measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) scale at baseline, 6- and 12-month post study enrolment. Higher score indicates a higher level of physical activity.
Engagement and sustainability
Duration of wearables wear time will be assessed throughout the study.
Acceptability of the study
In-depth qualitative interviews will be conducted to assess acceptability of the study.
Satisfaction towards the intervention provided
Satisfaction will be measured through Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) for Group 3 participants. CSQ-8 uses a 4-point Likert scale, with higher score indicating greater satisfaction.
Lifestyle changes (Diet)
Changes in diet intake will be measured through Healthy Eating Assessment (HEA) scale. Health Benefit score is calculated, and a higher score indicates that participants are in a possible healthier benefit zone.
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Alexandra Hospital
Lead sponsor
National University of Singapore
Collaborator
