Effects of an Individualized mHealth-Based Intervention on Health Behavior Change and Cardiovascular Risk Among People With Metabolic Syndrome Based on the Behavior Change Wheel: Quasi-Experimental Study

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common public health challenge. Health-promoting behaviors such as diet and physical activity are central to preventing and controlling MetS. However, the adoption of diet and physical activity behaviors has always been challenging. An individualized mobile health (mHealth)–based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel is promising in promoting health behavior change and reducing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, the effects of this intervention are not well understood among people with MetS in mainland China. Objective We aimed to evaluate the effects of the individualized mHealth-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel on behavior change and ASCVD risk in people with MetS. Methods We conducted a quasi-experimental, nonrandomized study. Individuals with MetS were recruited from the health promotion center of a tertiary hospital in Zhejiang province, China. The study involved 138 adults with MetS, comprising a control group of 69 participants and an intervention group of 69 participants. All participants received health education regarding diet and physical activity. The intervention group additionally received a 12-week individualized intervention through a WeChat mini program and a telephone follow-up in the sixth week of the intervention. Primary outcomes included diet, physical activity behaviors, and ASCVD risk. Secondary outcomes included diet self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, knowledge of MetS, quality of life, and the quality and efficiency of health management services. The Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed rank test were primarily used for data analysis. Data analysis was conducted based on the intention-to-treat principle using SPSS (version 25.0; IBM Corp). Results Baseline characteristics did not differ between the 2 groups. Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in diet behavior, physical activity behavior, diet self-efficacy, physical activity self-efficacy, knowledge of MetS, physical health, and mental health after a 12-week intervention (P=.04, P=.001, P=.04, P=.04, P=.001, P=.04, P=.04, and P<.05). The intervention group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in outcomes from pre- to postintervention evaluations (P<.001, P=.03, P<.001, P=.04, P<.001, P<.001, and P<.001). The intervention also led to enhanced health management services and quality. Conclusions The individualized mHealth-based intervention using the Behavior Change Wheel was effective in promoting diet and physical activity behaviors in patients with MetS. Nurses and other health care professionals may incorporate the intervention into their health promotion programs.