MON-711 Randomized Controlled Trial for Assessment of the Effects of Advice for Introducing a Mobile Health Application in Health Guidance

Abstract Disclosure: T. Onoue: None. K. Nishida: None. Y. Nakata: None. F. Hayashi: None. M. Marutani: None. N. Sakane: None. J. Moriguchi: None. S. Muto: None. K. Kato: None. I. Masuda: None. T. Okamura: None. K. Matsuzaki: None. T. Kawamura: None. K. Tsushita: None. Background and aims: Recently, numerous smartphone applications for lifestyle improvement have been developed and rapidly disseminated commercially. Some of these mobile health (mHealth) applications are supervised by healthcare professionals, ensuring their quality. The present study aimed to explore how guiding participants of the Specific Health Guidance (SHG) program, a Japanese public health initiative for individuals with metabolic syndrome and preliminary risk, in using commercially available mHealth applications impacts mHealth application usage, lifestyle habits, and cardiovascular risk factors. Materials and methods: In this multicenter, randomized, open-label, parallel-group comparison study, 156 participants with a past history of SHG and current participants of the Motivational Health Guidance program (a type of SHG) in 2021 were assigned to the intervention (n = 76) or control (n = 80) group. In addition to the usual health guidance, the intervention group received advice for the introduction of six types of commercially available mHealth applications based on their individual behavioral goals. The primary outcome was the usage of any mHealth applications, not limited to the six applications introduced in the intervention, 3 months later. The secondary outcomes included the frequency of mHealth application usage, improvements in dietary and exercise habits, and weight loss 3 months later, as well as the changes in anthropometric measurements and clinical laboratory test results 1 year later. Results: The proportion of mHealth application users 3 months later, was significantly higher in the intervention group (73.2%) than in the control group (42.1%). The intervention group also showed a significantly greater weekly frequency of mHealth application usage. The change in triglyceride levels 1 year later was significantly decreased in the intervention group, as compared with the control group. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that advice for the introduction of mHealth applications based on individual behavioral goals in the health guidance setting significantly increased the number of mHealth application users and frequency of mHealth application usage as well as improved the participants’ triglyceride levels. These findings suggest that utilizing commercially available mHealth applications can enhance the effectiveness of a health guidance program, especially in environments with limited human and financial resources. Presentation: Monday, July 14, 2025