mHealth Intervention for Elevated Blood Pressure Among College Students: Single-Arm Intervention Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health
• Digital Health Interventions
• Public Health

Background:

• Hypertension is rising among young adults, increasing long-term cardiovascular disease risk.
• Lifestyle factors like diet, exercise, and alcohol consumption contribute to hypertension in college students.
• Mobile health (mHealth) apps show promise for engaging this demographic in health management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of a mobile smartphone system for delivering tailored messages based on self-measured blood pressure (BP) in college-aged young adults.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study used a single-arm intervention (mHealth to Optimize BP Improvement - MOBILE) with 18-39 year olds having elevated BP.
• Participants monitored BP daily for 28 days, submitted readings via an app, and received tailored educational text messages.
• BP changes were analyzed using mixed regression; participant perspectives were gathered via a post-intervention survey.

Main Results:

• The study included 9 participants (mean age 22.64 years), with 56% overweight and 11% obese.
• High daily participation (86%) and acceptability were observed; 88% completed the survey.
• Participants found the intervention easy to use, increased BP awareness, found messages helpful, and reported lifestyle changes, though no significant BP changes were noted.

Conclusions:

• The mHealth-supported MOBILE intervention demonstrated feasibility and high acceptability for BP monitoring and tailored messaging in college students.
• Findings support further development and testing in larger, longer studies for early hypertension identification and intervention in young adults.
• This approach addresses a gap in current research for managing hypertension risk in the college-aged population.