This study will test whether a digital health intervention (DASH Cloud) using smartphones can improve diet quality among women at risk for cardiovascular disease. The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Diet has been proven to lower blood pressure, yet dissemination efforts remain poor. This study aims to use technology to improve adherence to DASH.
Specifically, this study aims to 1. To test the feasibility of the DASH Cloud intervention compared to education control among women with prehypertension and hypertension via a 3-month randomized controlled trial. 2. To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of the DASH Cloud intervention relative to education control on blood pressure, weight and medication adherence at 3 months. This study will enroll 50 adult women aged 21-70 with pre-hypertension or hypertension in a 3-month randomized controlled trial to test the initial feasibility of DASH Cloud. Women will be randomized to either the DASH Cloud intervention or DASH Light and followed up 3 months post randomization. The investigators will recruit participants from the Durham, NC area. Women randomized to the DASH Cloud intervention will be asked to track their diet daily using a smartphone diet tracking app. Based on the foods/beverages entered, the intervention will send daily or weekly text messages with feedback about DASH adherence and information videos about how to follow DASH. Women randomized to DASH Light will also be asked to track their diet using the smartphone diet tracking app and will receive basic informational materials about DASH.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
59
With DASH Cloud, the investigators will ask participants to track their diet daily using a commercial diet tracking app. The investigators will retrieve the diet data on our DASH Cloud platform and provide tailored feedback about a participant's DASH adherence via fully automated daily or weekly text messages. These feedback messages will describe both an individual's absolute performance and change over time. The investigators also include theory-driven tailored content that reinforces successes, offers motivational strategies, and offers short behavior change tips.
DASH Light Control participants will be asked to use the Nutritionix app daily and receive publicly available written materials on the DASH diet.
The Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Adherence to the DASH Diet
Dietary intake data will be collected using NCI's Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Recall tool.
Time frame: 3 months
Change in Blood Pressure
Blood pressure will be measured at baseline and 3 months in the upper arm in triplicate at 1-minute intervals. Measurements will be obtained using the validated Omron HEM-907XL blood pressure monitor.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Change in Weight
Weight will be collected in kilograms at baseline and 3 months using a calibrated digital scale.
Time frame: Baseline, 3 months
Engagement
Utilization of intervention component (daily diet tracking using Nutritionix app) at 3 months. This will be measured by the proportion of participants completing daily dietary self-monitoring.
Time frame: 3 months
Engagement
Utilization of intervention component (review of skills training videos) at 3 months. This will be measured by the number of clicks to skills training via video tracking software.
Time frame: 3 months
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