Linda Gallo
University of the Sunshine Coast
Young at heart: Cardiovascular health stations to empower healthy lifestyle behaviours for a lifetime of benefit
#Cardiovascular #Longevity / Anti-aging #Wellness
How will the SphygmoCor® technology enable, enhance, or accelerate your research?
Our research shows that a large proportion of young adults have suboptimal vascular health and associated lifestyle behaviours, albeit the vast majority are unaware of their risk. Here, we propose to examine the benefits of drop-in health stations on university campuses, with respect to increasing cardiovascular risk awareness and improving health behaviours. We currently have one SphygmoCor XCEL device that is dedicated to other research projects. Our proposed health stations, using dedicated SphygmoCor technology from this scheme, will allow for all university students to have their arterial stiffness and other vascular biomarkers monitored. Sensitive vascular measures are more likely to engage end-user interest and reveal early subclinical risk, compared with more accessible brachial blood pressure measures. Students will receive their own results in real-time and can talk with discipline experts to increase awareness and empower better lifestyle choices. Students under the age of 30 will be asked to provide consent for data collection, so that we can report on whether this opportunity improves knowledge and perceptions of cardiovascular risks, and lifestyle behaviours. Heart health checks are not currently offered to young adults, yet such knowledge is a “powerful tool” to motivate behaviour change, as quoted by student end-users during our recent stakeholder meeting. SphygmoCor technology will enable the provision of sensitive arterial health data to large group of young adults through establishment of health stations. Associated data collection will enhance and accelerate our research program on tailored intervention strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in our future ageing population.
Executive Summary
Cardiovascular health in young adults is deteriorating; linked with poor alignment to dietary and physical activity guidelines as well as psychological distress. In this study, we propose to test the feasibility and efficacy of establishing cardiovascular health stations on university campuses to improve modifiable risk factors in young adult students. The health stations will embed defined end-user preferences and behaviour-change techniques, including the provision of personal arterial health data; education about behaviour-cardiovascular health links; and expert tailored dietary, physical activity, and mental wellbeing instruction. All students are welcome to ‘drop-in’ to a campus station for an arterial health assessment using SphygmoCor technology. Visiting students under 30 years of age will be invited to participate in the research project, which includes gathering additional information on demographics, diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour, mental wellbeing, and current knowledge and perception of cardiovascular risk. Participants will be invited to return after six weeks (although they are welcome to drop in again at any time) and all measures will be re-assessed. As primary efficacy endpoints, we expect increased fruit and vegetable intake, increased adherence to physical activity guidelines, improved mental wellbeing, and improved knowledge of cardiovascular health and risk behaviours. In our current study, the provision of personal SphygmoCor data has already been regarded by young adult student participants as a ‘powerful tool’ in the context of motivating positive behaviour change. We envisage that our proposed cardiovascular health stations, available to all university students to ‘drop-in’, will increase awareness and improve health behaviours, translating into reduced cardiovascular disease as today’s young adults age.
Research Setting
CIA Dr Gallo has made diverse knowledge gains in cardiovascular health (FWCI 3.51, 2020-24). Dr Gallo’s current work is on modifiable risk factors, with one paper on young adults in the top 1% most cited worldwide (FWCI 15.17, Nutrients 2020 12:1865). CIB Prof Askew is an accredited exercise physiologist and leads the UniSC VasoActive research team (FWCI 2.20, 2017-21). Prof Askew maintains supervision roles in cardiac rehabilitation, and studies using SphygmoCor technology. CIC Dr Wright is an advanced accredited practicing dietitian with expertise in the management and secondary prevention of non-communicable disease through dietary approaches (FWCI 1.0, 2018-23), and supervision of dietetic students. Our interdisciplinary team includes Dr Walker and Dr Scott (accredited exercise physiologists with expertise in SphygmoCor and young adults, respectively), Dr Metse and Dr Jona (clinical psychologists with expertise in behaviour change theory and young adult wellbeing, respectively), and Dr Wadsworth (intervention co-design). We have successfully collaborated on this research program for the last 15 months, including securing two grants and supervision of research students (1 completed undergraduate and 1 current PhD).
UniSC dietetics, exercise physiology, psychology, and nursing trainees will be provided the opportunity to undertake clinical placement hours at the health stations. They will be trained in using SphygmoCor XCEL and CONNEQT Pulse, resulting in a future health workforce with skills in SphygmoCor technology. We have a dedicated lockable room at each campus, privacy screens, examination tables, computers, and data management software. Stations will be overseen by the research team who all have ongoing appointments.