Supporting Adults in Emergency Departments to Adopt Healthy Lifestyles A Randomized Study to Prevent Non-Communicable Diseases Using Self-Determination Theory

What This Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating a health promotion intervention based on self-determination theory aimed at helping emergency department attendees adopt healthier lifestyles. This randomized controlled trial will involve 1,172 participants from five major hospitals in Hong Kong. The study tests if this approach, which encourages autonomous motivation, leads to better adoption of healthy habits and improves quality of life compared to general advice. The trial focuses on reducing risks related to tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diet, and physical inactivity. Participants in the intervention group will receive a brief telephone health warning and advice about risky behaviors shortly after their ED visit. They will discuss which healthy lifestyle changes they prioritize and receive weekly WhatsApp or WeChat messages for six months, including links to short videos reinforcing their chosen goals. The control group will also get brief advice and regular text messages with general health tips. Both groups will have assessments at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. Throughout the study, participants will complete questionnaires assessing their risk behaviors, blood pressure, body mass index, and quality of life. Follow-up calls will monitor progress in adopting healthy lifestyles and provide additional support. Researchers will measure how many healthy lifestyle changes participants achieve at 6 months as the primary outcome, with further assessments at 12 months to evaluate lasting effects on behavior and quality of life. The total study period extends to 12 months for each participant.

Prevent Non-communicable Diseases Through Screening and Educating Emergency Department Attendees to Adopt Healthy Lifestyles