S-21-3: EFFECTIVENESS AND ACCEPTABILITY OF MOBILE PHONE TEXT MESSAGING INTERVENTION TO IMPROVE BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL (TEXT4BP) AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN NEPAL

Abstract

Objectives: In LMICs, the rapid uptake and availability of mobile phones provide excellent opportunities for host of an intervention. However, research on the effectiveness and acceptability of mHealth in these settings remains limited. The main objective of this feasibility study was to assess the effectiveness and acceptability of a mobile phone text messaging intervention (TEXT4BP) to improve blood pressure control and treatment adherence among hypertensive patients in Nepal. Design and Methods: The TEXT4BP study was a two-arm, parallel-group, unblinded, randomized controlled pilot trial that recruited 200 clinically diagnosed hypertensive patients aged 18–69 years visiting at a tertiary referral hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. We co-designed the contextual text messages informed by the formative qualitative studies that used COM-B (capability, opportunity, motivation, and behavior) model and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) model. Patients in the intervention arm (n = 100) received text messages containing information on hypertension, diet, medication, and physical activity three times per week for three months. The control arm (n = 100) received standard care. Primary outcomes were changes in blood pressure and medication adherence at three months. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure control, medication adherence self-efficacy, and hypertension knowledge. Feasibility measures, such as attrition rate, was calculated. A nested qualitative study assessed the acceptability of the intervention. Results: Over the 12 weeks of follow-up, the retention rate was 77%. The intervention group had a greater reduction in systolic and diastolic BP vs usual care [-7.09/-5.86 (p = 0.003) vs -0.77/-1.35 (p = 0.28) mmHg] [adjusted difference: systolic B = -6.50 (95% CI, -12.6; -0.33) and diastolic BP B = -4.60 (95% CI, -8.16; -1.04)] (fig 1), coupled with a greater proportion achieving target BP (70% vs 48%, p = 0.006) at three months. The intervention arm showed an improvement in compliance to antihypertensive therapy (p < 0.001), medication adherence (p < 0.001), medication adherence self-efficacy (p = 0.023), and knowledge on hypertension and its treatment (p = 0.013). In addition, intervention participants expressed a high rate of acceptability and desire to continue the TEXT4BP intervention in the future too. Conclusion: The TEXT4BP study has generated promising evidence that text messaging intervention is feasible, acceptable, and effective in improving blood pressure control in low-resource settings like Nepal. The findings will inform further large-scale mHealth research and contribute to clinical practice with evidence-based hypertension guidelines in Nepal. Trial reg: ACTRN12619001213134