Delivery Of Health Promotion Research Articles

Application of the Medical Research Council guidance for complex interventions in the development of VIeSA, an intervention to support healthy ageing among community-dwelling older adults

BackgroundThe ageing population, coupled with the desire to age-in-place, highlight the need for programs that target health promotion as a means of maintaining functional ability, autonomy, and independence among community-dwelling older adults. This paper describes the development of the VIeSA intervention, which aimed to model a healthy ageing trajectory, including the identification of the necessary tools and methods, that would allow people older people, in partnership with health and social care professionals, to define personal health-related goals and the actions to achieve them. A key element of the intervention development was the creation of a support tool intended to assist this process.MethodsThe UK Medical Research Council (MRC) guidance on developing and evaluating complex interventions was applied in the development of the intervention and of the support tool. A participatory approach was selected, with stakeholders engaged on different occasions to allow the refinement of the intervention and of the support tool. Following the steps and suggested actions in the MRC development phase, the development process was conducted by identifying (1) the evidence base and (2) the theoretical framework and (3) by modelling the process and outcomes of the intervention.ResultsFollowing a literature review on effective interventions for functional ability, draft 1 of the support tool was designed. Focus groups with stakeholders provided feedback on this draft allowing for its refinement in terms of content, language use, and structure (draft 2). A review of the approaches for health promotion delivery led to further additions to the tool (draft 3) and informed the content of the training of health and social care professionals. After their training, professionals provided feedback on the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of different elements of the intervention. Results suggested that no further major refinement to the intervention or support tool was necessary.ConclusionsThe design and development of the VIeSA intervention using the MRC guidance allowed for a clarity of direction, an optimised content in terms of usefulness and accessibility for all concerned stakeholders, and greater opportunities for its implementation and uptake.

Applying health promotion knowledge to self-care: healthy eating and weight management for nurses.

Promoting health in the workplace is a national and international public health priority, and health promotion is a central aspect of the nursing role. However, nurses' knowledge of health promotion does not always translate to self-care and there are barriers to some aspects of self-care at work, such as healthy eating. Evidence suggests that rates of overweight and obesity in nurses are relatively high and commensurate with the general population, which has implications for their health and well-being and their delivery of health promotion to patients. This article discusses health in the workplace and some of the evidence on overweight and obesity among nurses, including how this may influence their health promotion practice. The author also considers barriers and enablers to nurses' healthy eating at work and suggests some approaches that individual nurses and healthcare organisations can take to improve healthy eating.

A Survey of Practice and Factors Affecting Physiotherapist-Led Health Promotion for People at Risk or with Cardiovascular Disease in Cameroon.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and associated risk factors are a growing concern in Cameroon. Physiotherapists (PTs) can play a crucial role in prevention and management. However, the extent of Cameroonian PT involvement in health promotion (HP) activities remains unclear. This study assessed Cameroonian physiotherapists' current HP practices for people at risk of or with CVDs (pwCVDs). A cross-sectional survey was administered online to PTs practising in Cameroon. Out of 181 PT responses, 95% reported providing a variety of HP activities, including weight management (74%), dietary advice (73%), physical activity (69%), smoking cessation (69%), stress management (61%), and sleep promotion (48%). While PTs were confident in lifestyle assessments, they felt less confident about sleep interventions. Strong beliefs, confidence, team support, and time allocation enhanced HP practice. However, preference for passive modalities, patient adherence issues, organisational challenges, role ambiguity among healthcare providers, inadequate training opportunities, and the absence of established guidelines for CVD prevention negatively affect HP practice. These findings highlight the challenges and opportunities for enhancing HP delivery within the physiotherapy profession in Cameroon. The findings are useful for future strategies by clinical practitioners and policy makers to address barriers and leverage facilitators effectively for scaling up HP initiatives in Cameroon.

Peningkatan Kualitas Hidup Pasien Hipertensi dan Diabetes Mellitus Melalui Promosi Kesehatan di UPT Puskesmas Alianyang Kota Pontianak

The number of people with chronic diseases in Indonesia, especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus, continues to increase, including in the Pontianak City area, West Kalimantan. Alianyang Community Health Center, Pontianak City, is one of the basic health facilities that implements the Chronic Disease Management Program. The problem experienced by patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus is a decrease in quality of life due to the disease they suffer. One of the causes of a decrease in a person's quality of life is a lack of knowledge and motivation in implementing a healthy lifestyle. Health promotion in the form of education on healthy lifestyles needs to be provided directly to patients and to prolanist cadres of the Alianyang Health Center. The targets of this activity are patients and prolanist cadres of the Alianyang Health Center. The activity aims to provide information to patients and prolanist cadres regarding efforts to improve the quality of life of hypertension and diabetes mellitus patients. The method used is health promotion through educational videos and leaflets. The results showed that there were changes before and after the delivery of health promotion, namely that the average participant experienced an increase in knowledge between the pre-test and post-test, namely 63.33 and 79.17 respectively. Evaluation of activities through questionnaires showed that participants felt the material presented was very interesting and participants gained new knowledge through the educational media provided.

Social Media Health Prevention Strategies for Hospitals to Captivate Young Adults' Interest

Social media has the potential to be used by hospitals to play their role as health-promoting hospitals. By utilizing social media, hospitals can perform health prevention services at a reasonable cost. Nowadays, youths are more likely to suffer non-communicable diseases (NCD) like Diabetic Mellitus due to lifestyle changes that are sedentary. However, most youths consider that health promotion messages that already exist are unappealing. The purpose of this study is to determine the relevant strategy to deliver a health promotion message through social media that can captivate the youth’s interest. This study is a qualitative study with a phenomenology design. Data collection was carried out from three focus group discussions (FGD) that were selected by purposive and selective sampling methods. The data was then analyzed with the inductive theme analysis method. Triangulation and transferability tests were conducted to assess the validity of this study. Health promotion delivery must ensure that the message is attractive and easy to understand To expand the target audience's understanding. Health promotion should be done by considering what the message is, who the target is, what kind of content is, and on what platform. Besides, the content should be relevant, entertaining, credible, and easy to be understood.

Health promotion experiences of Filipino physical therapists

Introduction: Health promotion is a potential solution to control and prevent non-communicable diseases, and physical therapists (PT) may be knowledgeable and skilled to be health promoters. However, there is a lack of health promotion policy in the country that can be used as a guideline for promoting health. This study aimed to describe the Filipino PTs health promotion experiences and strategies. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was utilized with a self-developed interview guide used for the focus group discussion. Qualitative data was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Physical therapists perceive the role of health promoters as significant and should be integrated into physical therapy practice. Participants described different health-promoting strategies that they incorporate in their practice that are: client education; client-centered approach; holistic service; and interprofessional collaboration. Several facilitators and barriers to health promotion also emerged: guidelines and frameworks or lack thereof; institutional support; interprofessional collaboration; networking; PTs interpersonal skills; client behavior; and health determinants. Participants described the determinants of health as the core factors that affect and influence the delivery of health promotion and behavior change of patients. The role of PTs as advocates of health promotion was also emphasized. Discussion: Filipino PTs practice health promotion in client care with several health-promoting strategies, however no specific and unifying health promotion guideline was identified among them. This suggests that our study may serve as a precursor to developing standard health promotion physical therapy practice guidelines aligned with physical therapy professional practice framework and national health promotion policies.

FEASIBILITY OF INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGIES TO PROMOTE LEISURE ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT AMONG ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS

Abstract Research suggests that advanced technologies, such as wearable technology and tablets, can serve an important role in the cost-effective, accessible delivery of health promotion that is individualized, immersive, and engaging for users. The present study was designed to test the feasibility and acceptability of two integrated technologies among assisted living facility residents: CareBand’s wearable technology and Eperture’s RememberStuff (R/S) tablet platform. The purpose of the qualitative component of the project was to provide preliminary information from the perspective of the assisted living facility participants on these two technologies. Another goal was to assess the challenges of their participation. Drawing on qualitative thematic analyses of data collected from semi-structured interviews with 16 participants (four staff members and 12 residents) prior to and following the 6-week integrated technology program, three themes emerged as positive outcomes of the technology experiences: (a) leisure activity engagement, (b) exploration of tablet features, and (c) cognitive stimulation. This finding suggests that these technologies may enhance leisure engagement and cognitive function. On the other hand, there were three challenges that participants experienced while participating in the program: (a) inability to grasp functionality, (b) need for continued education for the technology, and (c) negative stereotypes toward technology use. These challenges provide guidance for future protocol design in follow-up studies to further explore the integrated technology efficacy for older adult users. The practical implications of this study and suggestions for health professionals are discussed.

Dual Role of Early Childhood Teachers as Health Cadres in Reducing Stunting

Background: The role of early childhood education teachers (PAUD) is getting bigger in areas related to child nutrition and become potential contributors in improving and reducing stunting cases in children under five. The purpose of this study is how to promote health through the right food for PAUD-aged children. The role of PAUD teachers as well as health cadres is to become best practice in efforts to reduce stunting in the Malang City, Indonesia. Methods: This research is an analytic observational cross sectional design, using 150 PAUD teachers as well as health cadres who carry out best practice efforts to reduce stunting through evidence-based in-depth interviews. Results: The best practices that have been implemented are : the number of PAUD-age children who receive PMT directly; the ease of delivery of health promotion to the community, especially parents or child caretakers; higher community compliance; and a significant increase in children's weight and height. The impact and output of the dual role of PAUD teachers as health cadres in reducing stunting is more effective. Conclusion: This dual role of early childhood teachers as health cadres needs to be appreciated, defined, and rewarded by national authorities, based on local needs, and programmed according to policy-based evidence, such as in the formation of the Team for the Acceleration of Stunting Reduction (TPPS).

Experiences and Expectations of the Characteristics of Friendly Primary Health Services from the Perspective of Men: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study.

Inadequate men’s engagement with health services may be influenced by unmet needs and demands of the local men’s community. This study aimed to explore men’s experiences with primary health services and their expectations of the characteristics of friendly primary health services, from the perspective of men in Kelantan, Malaysia. A qualitative study using in-depth interviews was conducted with 15 men from six primary health facilities in Kelantan, Malaysia, who were selected based on maximum variation sampling. The data were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The study found that experiences with the existing primary health services were categorized into four subthemes: provision of health services, health promotion delivery, attributes of healthcare providers, and the physical environment of the health facilities. Meanwhile, the expectations of the characteristics of friendly primary health services were categorized into four subthemes: meeting the needs of men in primary health services, approaching men through effective health promotion strategies, standards of a healthcare provider from the viewpoint of men, and a comfortable physical environment for men. Prior experiences hugely influenced men’s expectations of friendly primary health services. Men want these health service characteristics customized to meet their needs, allowing them to use health services with confidence and comfort. Thus, to strengthen primary health services for men, it is essential to comprehend their prior experiences with and expectations of the services.

Permainan Ular Tangga untuk Edukasi Disiplin Membuang Sampah

Introduction: Instilling awareness to maintain a clean environment can be instilled from an early age. The application or delivery of health promotion can use game media because students can more easily understand, not experience boredom in delivering the material. Health education media that can be applied to school children are like the snake and ladder game. Objective: To implement snake and ladder games on increasing students' knowledge in disposing of waste. Method: Health promotion research is used in PHBS education methods and demonstrations of disposing of waste according to its type with game media in the form of snakes and ladders. This Health Promotion was carried out with 8 students who were at SDN 3 Linggasari, Ciamis District, Ciamis Regency with a total of 25 children as respondents and accompanied by a homeroom teacher. Health Promotion is carried out through 4 stages, namely 1) selection of targets and places, 2) preparation of facilities and infrastructure, 3) implementation of activities, 4) evaluation. Result: The implementation of health promotion for students of SDN 3 Linggasari Ciamis on Clean and Healthy Living Behavior about Disposing of garbage according to its type produced less significant results because previously students of SDN 3 Linggasari Ciamis rarely applied it so that there were still students who could not distinguish between organic and non-organic types of waste, and dispose of waste improperly. Conclusion: This activity can increase children's knowledge about the purpose of disposing of waste, the benefits of disposing of waste in its place, the positive and negative impacts of throwing garbage in its place, as well as steps for disposing of waste correctly. In its implementation in the field, teachers and children at SDN 3 Linggasari Ciamis gave a positive response and high enthusiasm in participating in counseling and simulations of disposing of waste according to its type.

Identifying opportunities for health promotion and intervention in the ED

BackgroundED staff assess patients with modifiable risk factors for acute and chronic illness. Health promotion interventions delivered in the ED have been advocated for these patients. The engagement of staff...

Experiences and perspectives of nursing students on self-management promotion in patients with coronary heart disease

Background/aims Self-management in patients with coronary heart disease is essential to the prevention of cardiac complications and the minimisation of morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to explore the knowledge and perceptions of student nurses on promotion of self-management and lifestyle changes in patients with coronary heart disease. Methods A qualitative methodology was adopted using semi-structured face-to-face interviews with undergraduate nursing students in their third and fourth year of studies. Through purposive sampling, eight participants were recruited from a higher education institute in Scotland. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed by thematic analysis. Results Three themes emerged: self-management, barriers to effective self-management and health promotion. The perceived barriers included lack of effective communication, patients' perception of their illness and lack of time and identified motivators to good delivery of health promotion. Conclusions Pre-registration healthcare students may benefit from more education on patient self-management from a theoretical and practical perspective. Post-registration education might also be useful to nurses to increase their knowledge and confidence in the delivery of health promotion to patients.

Travelling for sex, attending gay-specific venues, and HIV-related sexual risk among men who have sex with men in Ontario, Canada

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) remain the group most affected by HIV in Canada. Travelling for sex and attendance at specific venues for sex have been linked to elevated HIV risk among GBMSM, but most research on these mobilities and sexual health has focused on GBMSM living in large cities. The purpose of this study was to explore HIV-related sexual risk among GBMSM from mid-sized cities and rural regions who attend gay-specific venues and/or travel for sex. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by a convenience sample of individuals (n = 526) self-identifying as LGBTQ who lived, worked, or studied in Waterloo Region, a mixed urban-rural region in the southwestern part of Ontario, Canada. Analyses for the current study were restricted to those identifying as GBMSM (n = 269). Multinomial logistic regression models were created to explore travelling outside of the Region for sex, as well as recent attendance at gay-specific venues, and their associations with a contextual measure of HIV-related sexual transmission risk. Individuals reporting high HIV risk were significantly more likely to travel outside of Waterloo Region for sex than individuals reporting no HIV risk (OR = 3.08; 95% CI: 1.20, 7.93). The association between travel and risk was strengthened after controlling for education, marital status, sexual orientation, gender modality, and social support (OR = 5.07; 95% CI: 1.73, 14.87). GBMSM who reside outside of large cities may travel farther, enter unfamiliar scenes, or be less privy to information disseminated through current health promotion initiatives for GBMSM in large cities. Due to the dynamic geographic status of GBMSM travelling for sex and attendance at venues, HIV prevention initiatives that target these individuals may benefit from additional conceptualization of health promotion delivery in terms of social and sexual networks, rather than simply by place of residence.

Evaluating "Take the Stairs, Wyoming!" Through the RE-AIM Framework: Challenges and Opportunities.

Introduction: Health promotion delivery systems are increasingly being asked to implement policy, systems, and environmental interventions (PSEs). However, evaluating PSEs is challenging, especially in low-resource community settings. This paper describes the use of RE-AIM to evaluate a physical activity PSE delivered through University of Wyoming Extension and highlights challenges and opportunities in pragmatic, real-world program evaluation.Methods: Extension health educators adapted a point-of-decision prompt intervention encouraging stairway use through posters, called Take the Stairs, Wyoming! Reach was assessed through estimates of daily traffic, effectiveness was assessed through opportunistic interviews, adoption was calculated as the number and proportion of sites that agreed to hang posters, implementation was calculated as the proportion of sites with a poster in place at a 2-weeks follow-up visit, and maintenance was assessed through 6-months opportunistic interviews (individual level) and proportion of sites with a poster in place (organizational level).Results: Overall, the posters were widely adopted and most posters were implemented as intended. However, capturing reach, effectiveness, and maintenance was challenging, as health educators found the evaluation burdensome. Therefore, it was difficult to determine if the posters were effective at increasing physical activity levels.Discussion: Suggestions are provided for capturing reach, effectiveness, and maintenance data in community settings. Future efforts are needed to create evaluation tools to pragmatically measure effectiveness of PSEs on changing behaviors, as well as to prioritize program evaluation in Extension.

A Population Health Approach: Addressing equity and social determinants of health in Canadian healthcare

Introduction: Currently, there is limited knowledge about operationally feasible strategies that help link the provision of integrated care with the population health approach1,2. The scope of integrated care needs to be expanded to bridge the gaps not only within the health system, but also between public health, health care and social care1,3. This broader focus for integrated health care would enable health systems to address the social determinants of health SDOH of populations4. Using results from an ongoing multi-case study investigating implementation of population health approach in Canada and abroad, we will present an analysis of strategies used by select Canadian primary care and speciality care organizations that have taken on the population health approach and link the provision of integrated care, and successfully tackle issues of inequity and the SDOHs. Methods: In this multi-case study we use field visits, interviews, document analysis and other resources to identify key strategies, barriers and enablers to implementation of the population health approach. Population health experts and health planners nominated potential cases that were then assessed against the criteria that identify population health systems. Integrated knowledge translation has been incorporated to link knowledge users and academic researchers throughout the study. The study draws on the expanded chronic care model, socio-ecological model and equity lenses. Expected results: The study will identify and provide evidence about the effectiveness of specific strategies, including creative approaches and innovations that help routinely screen for the SDOHs and integrate social supports into delivery of care. We will map out strategic partnerships and inter-sectoral collaborations designed to support integrated delivery of health promotion and disease prevention, health care services and social care. Discussion/conclusion: This study will contribute to the knowledge about the planning and implementation of population-based integrated systems of care that successfully address a range of SDOH. Findings may help inform relevant policy and strategy and are directly relevant to ICIC 2018 theme "Population Health Management", sub-themes: Tackling inequalities and the social determinants of health, Improving population health outcomes and Strategy development, partnerships & leadership. Potential suggestions for future research: As the population health approach is adopted across the continuum of care, future research needs to facilitate the spread and scale up of integrated care in the context of population health.

A Population Health Approach: Addressing equity and social determinants of health in Canadian healthcare

Introduction: Currently, there is limited knowledge about operationally feasible strategies that help link the provision of integrated care with the population health approach1,2. The scope of integrated care needs to be expanded to bridge the gaps not only within the health system, but also between public health, health care and social care1,3. This broader focus for integrated health care would enable health systems to address the social determinants of health SDOH of populations4. Using results from an ongoing multi-case study investigating implementation of population health approach in Canada and abroad, we will present an analysis of strategies used by select Canadian primary care and speciality care organizations that have taken on the population health approach and link the provision of integrated care, and successfully tackle issues of inequity and the SDOHs. Methods: In this multi-case study we use field visits, interviews, document analysis and other resources to identify key strategies, barriers and enablers to implementation of the population health approach. health experts and health planners nominated potential cases that were then assessed against the criteria that identify population health systems. Integrated knowledge translation has been incorporated to link knowledge users and academic researchers throughout the study. The study draws on the expanded chronic care model, socio-ecological model and equity lenses. Expected results: The study will identify and provide evidence about the effectiveness of specific strategies, including creative approaches and innovations that help routinely screen for the SDOHs and integrate social supports into delivery of care. We will map out strategic partnerships and inter-sectoral collaborations designed to support integrated delivery of health promotion and disease prevention, health care services and social care. Discussion/conclusion: This study will contribute to the knowledge about the planning and implementation of population-based integrated systems of care that successfully address a range of SDOH. Findings may help inform relevant policy and strategy and are directly relevant to ICIC 2018 theme Population Health Management, sub-themes: Tackling inequalities and the social determinants of health, Improving population health outcomes and Strategy development, partnerships & leadership. Potential suggestions for future research: As the population health approach is adopted across the continuum of care, future research needs to facilitate the spread and scale up of integrated care in the context of population health.

The Delivery of Health Promotion and Environmental Health Services; Public Health or Primary Care Settings?

The WHO Regional Office for Europe developed a set of public health functions resulting in the ten Essential Public Health Operations (EPHO). Public health or primary care settings seem to be favorable to embrace all actions included into EPHOs. The presented paper aims to guide readers on how to assign individual health promotion and environmental health services to public health or primary care settings. Survey tools were developed based on EPHO 2, 3 and 4; there were six key informant surveys out of 18 contacted completed via e-mails by informants working in Denmark on health promotion and five face-to-face interviews were conducted in Australia (Melbourne and Victoria state) with experts from environmental health, public health and a physician. Based on interviews, we developed a set of indicators to support the assignment process. Population or individual focus, a system approach or one-to-one approach, dealing with hazards or dealing with effects, being proactive or reactive were identified as main element of the decision tool. Assignment of public health services to one of two settings proved to be possible in some cases, whereas in many there is no clear distinction between the two settings. National context might be the one which guides delivery of public health services.

PENERAPAN METODE SOSIODRAMA DALAM PROMOSI KESEHATAN TENTANG PENULARAN HIV/AIDS PADA IBU RUMAH TANGGA

Research backgroud: Kinds of methodsin health promotion to address the spread and transmission of HIV/AIDS has been applied to the society. The focus of today's HIV-AIDS is housewifes. Method of sociodrama about the transmission of HIV/AIDS aims to provide an understanding, appreciation and develop their ability to solve the problem of HIV/AIDS through role play.
 The purpose ofthis research: is to determine the effect sociodrama in health promotion methods about transmission of HIV/AIDS towards housewives.
 Research method: The methodused is quasie xperimental with pre and post-test with control group design, where it measures the difference between before and after intervention using control groups. The differences between before and after the intervention are assumed to bethe effect of the intervention.
 The result of reserach: based on paired t test and independent t test both intervention group and control group before and after the treatment has p value (0,000) < a (0,05). It means that there was significant different in term of knowledge level between two groups.
 Conclusion : there is significant difference between sociodrama method with the use of audio- visual media in the delivery of health promotion about the transmission of HIV / AIDS on housewife.

Use of social media for the delivery of health promotion on smoking, nutrition, and physical activity: a systematic review

BackgroundThe internet has emerged as a new setting within which people live their everyday lives. As such, adults' online lives provide an opportunity for health promotion to empower behaviour change. In a systematic review, we aimed to explore the use of health promotion and education activities for diet, physical activity, and smoking, delivered through the internet and social media only. MethodsWe searched the Cochrane Library, HMIC, EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO (in English between Jan 1, 2000, and April 14, 2016) along with reference lists of eligible studies using a combination of MeSH terms and text words (appendix). Studies of any design were eligible for inclusion provided they delivered health promotion via social media and did not include one-to-one contact or advice. We included studies that presented data on multiple measures including engagement and behaviour change. Studies considering the content of social media interactions were ineligible. Data extraction was conducted by the lead reviewer and independently checked by a second reviewer. Reviewers recorded study design and intervention details, and completed a behavioural taxonomy checklist. Risk of bias was assessed with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence methodology. We performed narrative data synthesis. FindingsSearches produced 1585 results. 11 studies were included, predominantly of weak to moderate quality. Most studies were delivered via Facebook or custom websites with social components (eg, forums). Other social media outlets (Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube) were also used. Of eight studies that measured behaviour change, four considered smoking, two weight management, and two physical activity. Studies found that the inclusion of online, social elements did not enhance smoking cessation or weight loss; however, two small studies of short duration suggested that use of social media could improve physical activity levels. Six studies reported on “reach”; some failed to engage users (eg, 225 users across 19 countries) whereas others reached large audiences (eg, >10 000 website visits over 6 weeks). Cost-effectiveness was poorly reported. InterpretationThere was insufficient evidence of quality to determine the effectiveness of health promotion delivered using social media to improve health. Evidence suggests that social media incurs a small additional cost, without producing an important benefit. More high-quality studies are required. FundingNone.

Potential for mobile health (mHealth) prevention of cardiovascular diseases in Kerala: A population-based survey

BackgroundIndia's southern state of Kerala stands at the forefront of India's epidemic of cardiovascular disease (CVD), among other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Mobile phone use in healthcare (mHealth) has shown promise in India, including NCDs. However, suitability and acceptability of m-Health interventions is poorly researched, particularly in rural settings. Objectives(1)To explore mobile phone usage patterns in rural Kerala (Ernakulam).(2)To explore acceptability of mHealth delivery of health promotion and CVD prevention. MethodsA questionnaire regarding mobile phone usage and possible use in healthcare was verbally administered in five primary health centres and by home visits in five village councils (“panchayats”) of Ernakulam, Kerala. Adults who spoke Malayalam or English, with access to a mobile phone were recruited by convenience sampling in partnership with accredited social health activists (ASHAs). Quantitative data analysis was conducted using SPSS software. Results262 participants were recruited. 87% routinely used and 88% owned a mobile phone. 92% were willing to receive mHealth advice, and 94% favoured mobile medication reminders. 70.3% and 73% preferred voice calls over short messaging service (SMS) for delivering health information and medication reminders, respectively. 85.9% would send home recorded information on their blood pressure, weight, medication use and lifestyle to a doctor or ASHA. 75.2% trusted the confidentiality of mHealth data, while 77.1% had no concerns about the privacy of their information. ConclusionsThe majority of this population approve mHealth interventions. While further investigation of mHealth as a health education tool is warranted, SMS interventions may fail to maximise equity and penetration across all patient groups.