InterventionNCT05949320
"Health in Mobile" for Community-dwelling Individuals With Chronic Diseases
A study testing e-Motivational Interviewing in people with Intervention and Control Group, run by Education University of Hong Kong at 3 sites in Hong Kong.
Trial summary
This study aims to provide a mobile-apps-based intervention to facilitate individuals with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes to adopt healthy behaviours. The intervention is based on Motivational Interviewing, a clinical technique used to enhance an individual's behavioural changes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 45 to 75 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Intervention, Control Group
- What is being tested?
- e-Motivational Interviewing
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 461 participants
- Where
- 3 sitesHong Kong
- Study dates
- 3 Apr 2023to 30 Sep 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 45 to 75 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 1) pass the cognitive screening test indicating low risk of mild cognitive impairment and depressive moods;
- 2) age 45 to 75 years;
- 3) completed primary school education or above;
- 4) has a considerate level of information literacy access to mobile phones and tablets;
- 5) agree to participate in the study and provide informed consent.
Who cannot join
- 1) participants with type 1 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, metabolic syndrome, maturity-onset diabetes of youth, or gestational diabetes;
- 2) clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, malignant tumour, or new-onset diabetes after organ transplant;
- 3) participants with a psychiatric or neurological disability
Trial locations and contacts
3 sites in 1 country.
Hong Kong3 sites
Eastern District Health Centre Express
North Point
Central and Western District Health Centre Express
Sai Ying Pun
Sha Tin District Health Centre Express
Shatin
About this study
Official title: "Health in Mobile" - The e-Motivational-Interviewing Intervention for Community-dwelling Individuals With Chronic Diseases
This study aims to provide a mobile-apps-based intervention to facilitate individuals with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes to adopt healthy behaviours. The intervention is based on Motivational Interviewing, a clinical technique used to enhance an individual's behavioural changes. The proposed research project comprises developing and validating the "Health in Mobile" app, which we call e-MI, which will then be launched to members of the three District Health Centre Express (DCHEs) who have presented with clinical/preclinical chronic health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The participants are registered members of the three DCHEs. The targeted sample size is 1600 members, with 1200 are in the e-MI group while the other 400 are in the waiting list control group.
Read the detailed description
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a clinical technique used to enhance an individual's behavioral changes. The MI intervention shares a similar basis as the cognitive behavioral therapy based on the Stages of Change. It has been found effective for enabling individuals to tackle their problems in weight control, substance abuse, and smoking.
The proposed study focuses on facilitating individuals with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes to adopt health behaviors. The technique employed to facilitate the behavioral changes is the MI. Previous literature has reported the positive effects of MI in patients with chronic diseases. For instance, promoting weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, improving physical activity self-management in adults with type II diabetes, and regulation in blood pressure level among hypertensive individuals. However, the applications of the MI are mostly via the face-to-face method. Other application methods such as telephone coaching, online synchronous chat and mobile app are delivered as the alternative for communication. Individuals are engaged to enhance or modify certain behaviors via such as instant text interaction with psychologists, messages generated from a predefined system, and messages from interactive tools based on one's situation. Positive intervention effects were observed in these alternative forms of MI in terms of successful weight loss from a mobile app and telephone coaching and smoking cessation from telephone coaching. However, drawbacks include decreased attendance and engagement for lengthy programs, technical issues in delivering messages, and over-simplification of materials. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to deliver the MI to the participants with the use of perceptual learning theories, and the differential focuses on the cognitive and affective components when viewing simple MI messages via an app, and we name it the e-MI.
- Conditions
- Intervention, Control Group
- Being tested
- e-Motivational Interviewing
- Keywords
- Motivational Interviewing, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Mobile Phone-Based Intervention, mHealth
- Medical subject headings
- Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
e-Motivational InterviewingOther
This study evaluates a 90-day mobile phone-based intervention using the e-Motivational Interviewing app for individuals with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. The app provides short conversations with health messages and reflective questions on lifestyle choices, such as physical activity and diet. The intervention incorporates "change talk" from Motivational Interviewing and principles from Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) to encourage positive behavior change. Users interact via multiple-choice questions, promoting self-assessment and reflection. The goal is to facilitate sustained lifestyle changes and improved health outcomes.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| e-MI intervention group | Experimental | 1200 participations are randomized to the e-MI group. They are asked to download the e-MI app and exposed to the related content for 90 days. Receives: Other: e-Motivational Interviewing |
| Waiting list control group | No intervention | 400 participants are randomized to the waiting list control group. They will commence the e-MI intervention after the completion of the e-MI group. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The Chinese Affect Scale
The 12-item Chinese Affect Scale measures positive emotions and negative emotions of the day following each daily e-MI message delivery. Six items assess positive emotions and negative emotions, respectively (Hou et al., 2016). Participants will use a 11-point scale (0=very slightly or not at all, 5=moderately, 10=very much) to indicate the extent to which they were experiencing each emotional state at a sampling moment.
Measured: Baseline
The Chinese Affect Scale
The 12-item Chinese Affect Scale measures positive emotions and negative emotions of the day following each daily e-MI message delivery. Six items assess positive emotions and negative emotions, respectively (Hou et al., 2016). Participants will use a 11-point scale (0=very slightly or not at all, 5=moderately, 10=very much) to indicate the extent to which they were experiencing each emotional state at a sampling moment.
Measured: 3 months
The Chinese Affect Scale
The 12-item Chinese Affect Scale measures positive emotions and negative emotions of the day following each daily e-MI message delivery. Six items assess positive emotions and negative emotions, respectively (Hou et al., 2016). Participants will use a 11-point scale (0=very slightly or not at all, 5=moderately, 10=very much) to indicate the extent to which they were experiencing each emotional state at a sampling moment.
Measured: 9 months
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment is a 32-item questionnaire to measure individuals' readiness for health-related changes for positive health-related behaviours.
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment comprises 32 items that measure four stages of change. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).To calculate the scores for each stage, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each stage and divide by the number of items in that stage. This will provide an average score for each stage of change. Higher scores indicate a greater readiness for change at that specific stage.
Measured: Baseline
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment is a 32-item questionnaire to measure individuals' readiness for health-related changes for positive health-related behaviours.
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment comprises 32 items that measure four stages of change. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).To calculate the scores for each stage, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each stage and divide by the number of items in that stage. This will provide an average score for each stage of change. Higher scores indicate a greater readiness for change at that specific stage.
Measured: 3 months
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment is a 32-item questionnaire to measure individuals' readiness for health-related changes for positive health-related behaviours.
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment comprises 32 items that measure four stages of change. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).To calculate the scores for each stage, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each stage and divide by the number of items in that stage. This will provide an average score for each stage of change. Higher scores indicate a greater readiness for change at that specific stage.
Measured: 9 months
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form measures participants' intensity and duration of physical activity in their daily lives, covering vigorous-intensity activities, moderate-intensity activities, walking, and sitting time.
Measured: Baseline
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form measures participants' intensity and duration of physical activity in their daily lives, covering vigorous-intensity activities, moderate-intensity activities, walking, and sitting time.
Measured: 3 months
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form measures participants' intensity and duration of physical activity in their daily lives, covering vigorous-intensity activities, moderate-intensity activities, walking, and sitting time.
Measured: 9 months
The standard 12-Item Short Form Health Survey
The SF-12 measures eight health domains, which can be grouped into two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) \& Mental Component Summary (MCS).
Participants are asked to respond to each item considering their health status over the past four weeks. The response options vary depending on the item, with some questions having binary (yes/no) answers, and others using ordinal scales.
Each of the eight health domains is scored separately, with higher scores indicating better health. The scores for each domain are then standardized and weighted to calculate the PCS and MCS scores. Higher scores on the PCS and MCS represent better health-related quality of life.
Measured: Baseline
The standard 12-Item Short Form Health Survey
The SF-12 measures eight health domains, which can be grouped into two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) \& Mental Component Summary (MCS).
Participants are asked to respond to each item considering their health status over the past four weeks. The response options vary depending on the item, with some questions having binary (yes/no) answers, and others using ordinal scales.
Each of the eight health domains is scored separately, with higher scores indicating better health. The scores for each domain are then standardized and weighted to calculate the PCS and MCS scores. Higher scores on the PCS and MCS represent better health-related quality of life.
Measured: 3 months
The standard 12-Item Short Form Health Survey
The SF-12 measures eight health domains, which can be grouped into two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) \& Mental Component Summary (MCS).
Participants are asked to respond to each item considering their health status over the past four weeks. The response options vary depending on the item, with some questions having binary (yes/no) answers, and others using ordinal scales.
Each of the eight health domains is scored separately, with higher scores indicating better health. The scores for each domain are then standardized and weighted to calculate the PCS and MCS scores. Higher scores on the PCS and MCS represent better health-related quality of life.
Measured: 9 months
The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire
The 15-item Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire will be used to assess the participants' motivation to perform health behaviors in terms of autonomous (intrinsically motivated) versus controlled (extrinsically motivated) over the past two weeks. Responses will range from 1 to 7 for each item (1=not at all true, 4=somewhat true, 7=very true) and will then be averaged to form the score for each self-regulation style (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic).
Measured: Baseline
The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire
The 15-item Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire will be used to assess the participants' motivation to perform health behaviors in terms of autonomous (intrinsically motivated) versus controlled (extrinsically motivated) over the past two weeks. Responses will range from 1 to 7 for each item (1=not at all true, 4=somewhat true, 7=very true) and will then be averaged to form the score for each self-regulation style (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic).
Measured: 3 months
The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire
The 15-item Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire will be used to assess the participants' motivation to perform health behaviors in terms of autonomous (intrinsically motivated) versus controlled (extrinsically motivated) over the past two weeks. Responses will range from 1 to 7 for each item (1=not at all true, 4=somewhat true, 7=very true) and will then be averaged to form the score for each self-regulation style (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic).
Measured: 9 months
The Contemplation Ladder
The Contemplation Ladder is a visual analog scale designed as a ladder with 11 rungs, numbered from 0 to 10. Each rung represents a different level of readiness to change, ranging from no intention to change (0) to taking action to change (10).
Measured: Baseline
The Contemplation Ladder
The Contemplation Ladder is a visual analog scale designed as a ladder with 11 rungs, numbered from 0 to 10. Each rung represents a different level of readiness to change, ranging from no intention to change (0) to taking action to change (10).
Measured: 3 months
The Contemplation Ladder
The Contemplation Ladder is a visual analog scale designed as a ladder with 11 rungs, numbered from 0 to 10. Each rung represents a different level of readiness to change, ranging from no intention to change (0) to taking action to change (10).
Measured: 9 months
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale will be used to assess anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks. Summed scores range from 0 to 21 (0 = not at all, 1 = on several days, 2 = on more than half of the days, 3 = nearly every day). Higher scores indicated greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
Measured: Baseline
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale will be used to assess anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks. Summed scores range from 0 to 21 (0 = not at all, 1 = on several days, 2 = on more than half of the days, 3 = nearly every day). Higher scores indicated greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
Measured: 3 months
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale will be used to assess anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks. Summed scores range from 0 to 21 (0 = not at all, 1 = on several days, 2 = on more than half of the days, 3 = nearly every day). Higher scores indicated greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
Measured: 9 months
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form is a 30-item measure designed for reflecting health promotion lifestyle behaviors. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). To calculate the scores for each dimension, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each dimension and divide by the number of items in that dimension. This will provide an average score for each dimension. Higher scores indicate better health-promoting behavior in that specific domain.
Measured: Baseline
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form is a 30-item measure designed for reflecting health promotion lifestyle behaviors. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). To calculate the scores for each dimension, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each dimension and divide by the number of items in that dimension. This will provide an average score for each dimension. Higher scores indicate better health-promoting behavior in that specific domain.
Measured: 3 months
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form is a 30-item measure designed for reflecting health promotion lifestyle behaviors. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). To calculate the scores for each dimension, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each dimension and divide by the number of items in that dimension. This will provide an average score for each dimension. Higher scores indicate better health-promoting behavior in that specific domain.
Measured: 9 months
Self-Reported Chronic Medical Conditions
Participants will report whether or not they currently have a list of chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, hypertension, heart attack, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, bladder disease, nephrolith, visual problems, hearing problems, and hemorrhoids.
Measured: Baseline
Self-Reported Chronic Medical Conditions
Participants will report whether or not they currently have a list of chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, hypertension, heart attack, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, bladder disease, nephrolith, visual problems, hearing problems, and hemorrhoids.
Measured: 3 months
Self-Reported Chronic Medical Conditions
Participants will report whether or not they currently have a list of chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, hypertension, heart attack, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, bladder disease, nephrolith, visual problems, hearing problems, and hemorrhoids.
Measured: 9 months
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale will assess the participants' well-being in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment of their current state. Participants will indicate agreement with the content of five items on a 4-point scale (1=Strongly disagree, 4=Strongly agree). Scores will be calculated by summing across the items (range=5-20).
Measured: Baseline
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale will assess the participants' well-being in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment of their current state. Participants will indicate agreement with the content of five items on a 4-point scale (1=Strongly disagree, 4=Strongly agree). Scores will be calculated by summing across the items (range=5-20).
Measured: 3 months
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale will assess the participants' well-being in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment of their current state. Participants will indicate agreement with the content of five items on a 4-point scale (1=Strongly disagree, 4=Strongly agree). Scores will be calculated by summing across the items (range=5-20).
Measured: 9 months
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire will be used to assess the depressive symptoms of the participants over the past two weeks on a 4-point scale (0=Not at all, 1=On several days, 2=More than half the days, 3=Nearly every day). Higher scores indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms (range=0-27).
Measured: Baseline
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire will be used to assess the depressive symptoms of the participants over the past two weeks on a 4-point scale (0=Not at all, 1=On several days, 2=More than half the days, 3=Nearly every day). Higher scores indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms (range=0-27).
Measured: 3 months
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire will be used to assess the depressive symptoms of the participants over the past two weeks on a 4-point scale (0=Not at all, 1=On several days, 2=More than half the days, 3=Nearly every day). Higher scores indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms (range=0-27).
Measured: 9 months
Eating Behaviour Questionnaire from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign
The Eating Behaviours questionnaire is an assessment tool adapted from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign, an initiative launched by the Department of Health in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating habits. The questionnaire focuses on various aspects of eating behaviors, such as the frequency of cooking at home, dining out, and the consumption patterns of different food groups, including red meat, white meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Measured: Baseline
Eating Behaviour Questionnaire from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign
The Eating Behaviours questionnaire is an assessment tool adapted from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign, an initiative launched by the Department of Health in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating habits. The questionnaire focuses on various aspects of eating behaviors, such as the frequency of cooking at home, dining out, and the consumption patterns of different food groups, including red meat, white meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Measured: 3 months
Eating Behaviour Questionnaire from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign
The Eating Behaviours questionnaire is an assessment tool adapted from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign, an initiative launched by the Department of Health in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating habits. The questionnaire focuses on various aspects of eating behaviors, such as the frequency of cooking at home, dining out, and the consumption patterns of different food groups, including red meat, white meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Measured: 9 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Jul 2023
- Study start3 Apr 2023
- Primary completion30 Sep 2024
- Study completion30 Sep 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for InterventionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 461 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Education University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Che Hin Chetwyn Chan, PhD, Principal investigator, The Education University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05949320
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- HKSR T591
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 29 Jun 2023
- Last updated
- 22 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: The collected data, such as weight and height, blood pressure and eating behaviours, may be perceived as sensitive by participants. Further, participants are not informed about sharing their information to parties other than the project team and Hong Kong Society of Rehabilitation.
Publications
Wong CHY, Wong MNK, Hou WK, Ting FST, Ng YM, Che Hin Chan C. Motivational interviewing chatbot improves lifestyle in primary healthcare settings in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. NPJ Digit Med. 2026 May 25. doi: 10.1038/s41746-026-02728-w. Online ahead of print.
PubMed 42185597
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Aug 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- "Health in Mobile" - The e-Motivational-Interviewing Intervention for Community-dwelling Individuals With Chronic Diseases
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05949320
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- HKSR T591
- Conditions
- Intervention, Control Group
- Keywords
- Motivational Interviewing, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Mobile Phone-Based Intervention, mHealth
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 461 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Education University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation
- Study start
- 3 Apr 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Sep 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Jul 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study aims to provide a mobile-apps-based intervention to facilitate individuals with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes to adopt healthy behaviours. The intervention is based on Motivational Interviewing, a clinical technique used to enhance an individual's behavioural changes. The proposed research project comprises developing and validating the "Health in Mobile" app, which we call e-MI, which will then be launched to members of the three District Health Centre Express (DCHEs) who have presented with clinical/preclinical chronic health issues such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The participants are registered members of the three DCHEs. The targeted sample size is 1600 members, with 1200 are in the e-MI group while the other 400 are in the waiting list control group.
Detailed description
Motivational interviewing (MI) is a clinical technique used to enhance an individual's behavioral changes. The MI intervention shares a similar basis as the cognitive behavioral therapy based on the Stages of Change. It has been found effective for enabling individuals to tackle their problems in weight control, substance abuse, and smoking.
The proposed study focuses on facilitating individuals with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes to adopt health behaviors. The technique employed to facilitate the behavioral changes is the MI. Previous literature has reported the positive effects of MI in patients with chronic diseases. For instance, promoting weight loss in overweight and obese individuals, improving physical activity self-management in adults with type II diabetes, and regulation in blood pressure level among hypertensive individuals. However, the applications of the MI are mostly via the face-to-face method. Other application methods such as telephone coaching, online synchronous chat and mobile app are delivered as the alternative for communication. Individuals are engaged to enhance or modify certain behaviors via such as instant text interaction with psychologists, messages generated from a predefined system, and messages from interactive tools based on one's situation. Positive intervention effects were observed in these alternative forms of MI in terms of successful weight loss from a mobile app and telephone coaching and smoking cessation from telephone coaching. However, drawbacks include decreased attendance and engagement for lengthy programs, technical issues in delivering messages, and over-simplification of materials. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to deliver the MI to the participants with the use of perceptual learning theories, and the differential focuses on the cognitive and affective components when viewing simple MI messages via an app, and we name it the e-MI.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| e-MI intervention group | Experimental | Other: e-Motivational Interviewing1200 participations are randomized to the e-MI group. They are asked to download the e-MI app and exposed to the related content for 90 days. |
| Waiting list control group | No intervention | –400 participants are randomized to the waiting list control group. They will commence the e-MI intervention after the completion of the e-MI group. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 45 to 75 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- 1) pass the cognitive screening test indicating low risk of mild cognitive impairment and depressive moods;
- 2) age 45 to 75 years;
- 3) completed primary school education or above;
- 4) has a considerate level of information literacy access to mobile phones and tablets;
- 5) agree to participate in the study and provide informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- 1) participants with type 1 diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, metabolic syndrome, maturity-onset diabetes of youth, or gestational diabetes;
- 2) clinical diagnosis of cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, malignant tumour, or new-onset diabetes after organ transplant;
- 3) participants with a psychiatric or neurological disability
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| e-Motivational InterviewingThis study evaluates a 90-day mobile phone-based intervention using the e-Motivational Interviewing app for individuals with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. The app provides short conversations with health messages and reflective questions on lifestyle choices, such as physical activity and diet. The intervention incorporates "change talk" from Motivational Interviewing and principles from Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) to encourage positive behavior change. Users interact via multiple-choice questions, promoting self-assessment and reflection. The goal is to facilitate sustained lifestyle changes and improved health outcomes. | Other | e-MI intervention group |
Primary outcome
The Chinese Affect Scale
Time frame: Baseline
The 12-item Chinese Affect Scale measures positive emotions and negative emotions of the day following each daily e-MI message delivery. Six items assess positive emotions and negative emotions, respectively (Hou et al., 2016). Participants will use a 11-point scale (0=very slightly or not at all, 5=moderately, 10=very much) to indicate the extent to which they were experiencing each emotional state at a sampling moment.
The Chinese Affect Scale
Time frame: 3 months
The 12-item Chinese Affect Scale measures positive emotions and negative emotions of the day following each daily e-MI message delivery. Six items assess positive emotions and negative emotions, respectively (Hou et al., 2016). Participants will use a 11-point scale (0=very slightly or not at all, 5=moderately, 10=very much) to indicate the extent to which they were experiencing each emotional state at a sampling moment.
The Chinese Affect Scale
Time frame: 9 months
The 12-item Chinese Affect Scale measures positive emotions and negative emotions of the day following each daily e-MI message delivery. Six items assess positive emotions and negative emotions, respectively (Hou et al., 2016). Participants will use a 11-point scale (0=very slightly or not at all, 5=moderately, 10=very much) to indicate the extent to which they were experiencing each emotional state at a sampling moment.
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment
Time frame: Baseline
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment is a 32-item questionnaire to measure individuals' readiness for health-related changes for positive health-related behaviours. The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment comprises 32 items that measure four stages of change. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).To calculate the scores for each stage, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each stage and divide by the number of items in that stage. This will provide an average score for each stage of change. Higher scores indicate a greater readiness for change at that specific stage.
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment
Time frame: 3 months
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment is a 32-item questionnaire to measure individuals' readiness for health-related changes for positive health-related behaviours. The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment comprises 32 items that measure four stages of change. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).To calculate the scores for each stage, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each stage and divide by the number of items in that stage. This will provide an average score for each stage of change. Higher scores indicate a greater readiness for change at that specific stage.
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment
Time frame: 9 months
The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment is a 32-item questionnaire to measure individuals' readiness for health-related changes for positive health-related behaviours. The Chinese version of University of Rhode Island Change Assessment comprises 32 items that measure four stages of change. Participants rate each item on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).To calculate the scores for each stage, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each stage and divide by the number of items in that stage. This will provide an average score for each stage of change. Higher scores indicate a greater readiness for change at that specific stage.
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form
Time frame: Baseline
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form measures participants' intensity and duration of physical activity in their daily lives, covering vigorous-intensity activities, moderate-intensity activities, walking, and sitting time.
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form
Time frame: 3 months
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form measures participants' intensity and duration of physical activity in their daily lives, covering vigorous-intensity activities, moderate-intensity activities, walking, and sitting time.
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form
Time frame: 9 months
The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form measures participants' intensity and duration of physical activity in their daily lives, covering vigorous-intensity activities, moderate-intensity activities, walking, and sitting time.
The standard 12-Item Short Form Health Survey
Time frame: Baseline
The SF-12 measures eight health domains, which can be grouped into two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) \& Mental Component Summary (MCS). Participants are asked to respond to each item considering their health status over the past four weeks. The response options vary depending on the item, with some questions having binary (yes/no) answers, and others using ordinal scales. Each of the eight health domains is scored separately, with higher scores indicating better health. The scores for each domain are then standardized and weighted to calculate the PCS and MCS scores. Higher scores on the PCS and MCS represent better health-related quality of life.
The standard 12-Item Short Form Health Survey
Time frame: 3 months
The SF-12 measures eight health domains, which can be grouped into two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) \& Mental Component Summary (MCS). Participants are asked to respond to each item considering their health status over the past four weeks. The response options vary depending on the item, with some questions having binary (yes/no) answers, and others using ordinal scales. Each of the eight health domains is scored separately, with higher scores indicating better health. The scores for each domain are then standardized and weighted to calculate the PCS and MCS scores. Higher scores on the PCS and MCS represent better health-related quality of life.
The standard 12-Item Short Form Health Survey
Time frame: 9 months
The SF-12 measures eight health domains, which can be grouped into two summary scores: Physical Component Summary (PCS) \& Mental Component Summary (MCS). Participants are asked to respond to each item considering their health status over the past four weeks. The response options vary depending on the item, with some questions having binary (yes/no) answers, and others using ordinal scales. Each of the eight health domains is scored separately, with higher scores indicating better health. The scores for each domain are then standardized and weighted to calculate the PCS and MCS scores. Higher scores on the PCS and MCS represent better health-related quality of life.
The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline
The 15-item Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire will be used to assess the participants' motivation to perform health behaviors in terms of autonomous (intrinsically motivated) versus controlled (extrinsically motivated) over the past two weeks. Responses will range from 1 to 7 for each item (1=not at all true, 4=somewhat true, 7=very true) and will then be averaged to form the score for each self-regulation style (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic).
The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire
Time frame: 3 months
The 15-item Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire will be used to assess the participants' motivation to perform health behaviors in terms of autonomous (intrinsically motivated) versus controlled (extrinsically motivated) over the past two weeks. Responses will range from 1 to 7 for each item (1=not at all true, 4=somewhat true, 7=very true) and will then be averaged to form the score for each self-regulation style (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic).
The Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire
Time frame: 9 months
The 15-item Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire will be used to assess the participants' motivation to perform health behaviors in terms of autonomous (intrinsically motivated) versus controlled (extrinsically motivated) over the past two weeks. Responses will range from 1 to 7 for each item (1=not at all true, 4=somewhat true, 7=very true) and will then be averaged to form the score for each self-regulation style (i.e., intrinsic vs. extrinsic).
The Contemplation Ladder
Time frame: Baseline
The Contemplation Ladder is a visual analog scale designed as a ladder with 11 rungs, numbered from 0 to 10. Each rung represents a different level of readiness to change, ranging from no intention to change (0) to taking action to change (10).
The Contemplation Ladder
Time frame: 3 months
The Contemplation Ladder is a visual analog scale designed as a ladder with 11 rungs, numbered from 0 to 10. Each rung represents a different level of readiness to change, ranging from no intention to change (0) to taking action to change (10).
The Contemplation Ladder
Time frame: 9 months
The Contemplation Ladder is a visual analog scale designed as a ladder with 11 rungs, numbered from 0 to 10. Each rung represents a different level of readiness to change, ranging from no intention to change (0) to taking action to change (10).
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
Time frame: Baseline
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale will be used to assess anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks. Summed scores range from 0 to 21 (0 = not at all, 1 = on several days, 2 = on more than half of the days, 3 = nearly every day). Higher scores indicated greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
Time frame: 3 months
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale will be used to assess anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks. Summed scores range from 0 to 21 (0 = not at all, 1 = on several days, 2 = on more than half of the days, 3 = nearly every day). Higher scores indicated greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale
Time frame: 9 months
The Chinese version of the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale will be used to assess anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks. Summed scores range from 0 to 21 (0 = not at all, 1 = on several days, 2 = on more than half of the days, 3 = nearly every day). Higher scores indicated greater severity of anxiety symptoms.
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form
Time frame: Baseline
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form is a 30-item measure designed for reflecting health promotion lifestyle behaviors. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). To calculate the scores for each dimension, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each dimension and divide by the number of items in that dimension. This will provide an average score for each dimension. Higher scores indicate better health-promoting behavior in that specific domain.
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form
Time frame: 3 months
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form is a 30-item measure designed for reflecting health promotion lifestyle behaviors. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). To calculate the scores for each dimension, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each dimension and divide by the number of items in that dimension. This will provide an average score for each dimension. Higher scores indicate better health-promoting behavior in that specific domain.
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form
Time frame: 9 months
Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile - II: Chinese version Short Form is a 30-item measure designed for reflecting health promotion lifestyle behaviors. Participants are asked to rate each item on a 4-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (never) to 4 (routinely). To calculate the scores for each dimension, sum the item scores for the corresponding items in each dimension and divide by the number of items in that dimension. This will provide an average score for each dimension. Higher scores indicate better health-promoting behavior in that specific domain.
Self-Reported Chronic Medical Conditions
Time frame: Baseline
Participants will report whether or not they currently have a list of chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, hypertension, heart attack, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, bladder disease, nephrolith, visual problems, hearing problems, and hemorrhoids.
Self-Reported Chronic Medical Conditions
Time frame: 3 months
Participants will report whether or not they currently have a list of chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, hypertension, heart attack, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, bladder disease, nephrolith, visual problems, hearing problems, and hemorrhoids.
Self-Reported Chronic Medical Conditions
Time frame: 9 months
Participants will report whether or not they currently have a list of chronic medical conditions, including but not limited to arthritis, hypertension, heart attack, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, bladder disease, nephrolith, visual problems, hearing problems, and hemorrhoids.
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale
Time frame: Baseline
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale will assess the participants' well-being in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment of their current state. Participants will indicate agreement with the content of five items on a 4-point scale (1=Strongly disagree, 4=Strongly agree). Scores will be calculated by summing across the items (range=5-20).
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale
Time frame: 3 months
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale will assess the participants' well-being in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment of their current state. Participants will indicate agreement with the content of five items on a 4-point scale (1=Strongly disagree, 4=Strongly agree). Scores will be calculated by summing across the items (range=5-20).
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale
Time frame: 9 months
The Chinese version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale will assess the participants' well-being in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment of their current state. Participants will indicate agreement with the content of five items on a 4-point scale (1=Strongly disagree, 4=Strongly agree). Scores will be calculated by summing across the items (range=5-20).
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire
Time frame: Baseline
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire will be used to assess the depressive symptoms of the participants over the past two weeks on a 4-point scale (0=Not at all, 1=On several days, 2=More than half the days, 3=Nearly every day). Higher scores indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms (range=0-27).
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire
Time frame: 3 months
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire will be used to assess the depressive symptoms of the participants over the past two weeks on a 4-point scale (0=Not at all, 1=On several days, 2=More than half the days, 3=Nearly every day). Higher scores indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms (range=0-27).
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire
Time frame: 9 months
The Chinese version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire will be used to assess the depressive symptoms of the participants over the past two weeks on a 4-point scale (0=Not at all, 1=On several days, 2=More than half the days, 3=Nearly every day). Higher scores indicate a higher level of depressive symptoms (range=0-27).
Eating Behaviour Questionnaire from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign
Time frame: Baseline
The Eating Behaviours questionnaire is an assessment tool adapted from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign, an initiative launched by the Department of Health in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating habits. The questionnaire focuses on various aspects of eating behaviors, such as the frequency of cooking at home, dining out, and the consumption patterns of different food groups, including red meat, white meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Eating Behaviour Questionnaire from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign
Time frame: 3 months
The Eating Behaviours questionnaire is an assessment tool adapted from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign, an initiative launched by the Department of Health in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating habits. The questionnaire focuses on various aspects of eating behaviors, such as the frequency of cooking at home, dining out, and the consumption patterns of different food groups, including red meat, white meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Eating Behaviour Questionnaire from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign
Time frame: 9 months
The Eating Behaviours questionnaire is an assessment tool adapted from the EatSmart Restaurant Star+ Campaign, an initiative launched by the Department of Health in Hong Kong to promote healthy eating habits. The questionnaire focuses on various aspects of eating behaviors, such as the frequency of cooking at home, dining out, and the consumption patterns of different food groups, including red meat, white meat, fruits, and vegetables.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Aug 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42185597Wong CHY, Wong MNK, Hou WK, Ting FST, Ng YM, Che Hin Chan C. Motivational interviewing chatbot improves lifestyle in primary healthcare settings in a pragmatic randomised controlled trial. NPJ Digit Med. 2026 May 25. doi: 10.1038/s41746-026-02728-w. Online ahead of print.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. The collected data, such as weight and height, blood pressure and eating behaviours, may be perceived as sensitive by participants. Further, participants are not informed about sharing their information to parties other than the project team and Hong Kong Society of Rehabilitation.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Che Hin Chetwyn Chan, PhD principal investigator
The Education University of Hong Kong
3 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing e-Motivational Interviewing in people with Intervention and Control Group, run by Education University of Hong Kong at 3 sites in Hong Kong.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Aug 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 3 sites in Hong Kong. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The Chinese Affect Scale (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 36 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05949320, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Aug 2025.