Psychosocial Determinants of Health Behaviour Change in an E-Counseling Intervention for Hypertension

Abstract EN

We evaluated the influence of psychological stress and depression on motivation to adhere to recommended guidelines for exercise and diet.

This study was conducted within a larger e-counseling trial.

Subjects diagnosed with hypertension (n=387, age = 44–74 years, 59% female) completed assessments at baseline and within 2 weeks after a 4-month intervention period.

Outcomes included mean level of readiness to change diet and exercise and symptoms of depression and stress.

Per protocol analysis defined e-counseling support as follows: ≥8 e-mails = therapeutic dose, 1–7 e-mails = subtherapeutic dose, and 0 e-mails = Controls.

Baseline adjusted symptoms of depression and stress were inversely correlated with improvement in exercise (partial R=-.14, P=.01, and partial R=-.17, P=.01, resp.) but not diet or e-counseling.

Subjects who received a therapeutic dose of e-counseling demonstrated greater readiness for diet adherence versus Controls (P=.02).

Similarly, subjects receiving a therapeutic level of e-counseling demonstrated significantly greater readiness for exercise adherence versus Controls (P=.04).

In sum, e-counseling is associated with improved motivation to adhere to exercise and diet among patients with hypertension, independent of symptoms of psychological stress and depression.