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Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research

Date Submitted: Feb 18, 2022
Date Accepted: Oct 13, 2022

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

The Development and Evaluation of “Life Age”—a Primary Prevention and Population-Focused Risk Communication Tool: Feasibility Study With a Single-Arm Repeated Measures Design

Olusan AA, Barr S, Cobain M, Whelan HA

The Development and Evaluation of “Life Age”—a Primary Prevention and Population-Focused Risk Communication Tool: Feasibility Study With a Single-Arm Repeated Measures Design

JMIR Form Res 2022;6(10):e37385

DOI: 10.2196/37385

PMID: 36279163

PMCID: 9641510

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.

The Development and Evaluation of ‘Life Age’: a primary prevention and population focused risk communication tool

  • Adeogo Akinwale Olusan; 
  • Suzanne Barr; 
  • Mark Cobain; 
  • Holly Anne Whelan

ABSTRACT

Background:

Communicating cardiovascular risk to the general population requires forms of communication that can enhance risk perception, stimulate lifestyle changes and reduce cardiovascular risks.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to develop a lifestyle risk assessment that incorporates risk of premature mortality with psychosocial wellbeing and motivates lifestyle change.

Methods:

This was a pilot single-arm repeated measures design to evaluate the efficacy of ‘Life Age’ on lifestyle changes. Participants were recruited via social media, completed an online version of the ‘Life Age’ questionnaire at baseline and at follow-up (8 weeks) and received 23 e-newsletters based on their ‘Life Age’ results along with a mobile tracker. Participants estimated ‘Life Age’ scores were analysed for evidence of lifestyle change. Qualitative feedback of participants was also assessed.

Results:

18 out of 27 participants completed the two ‘Life Age’ tests. The median baseline ‘Life Age’ was 1 year older compared to chronological age which was reduced to -1.9 years at follow-up representing an improvement of 2.9 years (p=.022). There were also accompanying improvement in Mediterranean diet score (p=.001), life satisfaction (p=.003), sleep (p=.05) and stress (p=.057). Qualitative feedback indicated that the ‘Life Age’ tool was easy to understand, helpful and motivating.

Conclusions:

This novel ‘Life Age’ tool provides an evidence-based risk assessment that generates lifestyle changes consistent with reduction in cardiovascular risk and improved psychosocial wellbeing. Further evaluation using a larger randomised control trial is required to fully evaluate the impact of ‘Life Age’ tool on lifestyle changes and cardiovascular disease prevention.


 Citation

Please cite as:

Olusan AA, Barr S, Cobain M, Whelan HA

The Development and Evaluation of “Life Age”—a Primary Prevention and Population-Focused Risk Communication Tool: Feasibility Study With a Single-Arm Repeated Measures Design

JMIR Form Res 2022;6(10):e37385

DOI: 10.2196/37385

PMID: 36279163

PMCID: 9641510

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