Hong Kong is facing an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases ("NCDs"), which is compounded by population ageing.   Previous research has shown that many people lack motivation or have difficult changing their health-risk behaviours, especially without the advice and support of a healthcare professional. Health risk behaviours often co-occur in clusters. Individuals with multiple health-risk behaviours face more challenges when adopting healthy lifestyles. Health-risk behaviours are more prevalent in lower social class, economically inactive and less educated populations. Due to financial constraints and a lack of awareness of disease prevention and health care, many people in low-income households may only seek medical attention when they are unwell, instead of routine disease screening and preventive health checks.

The WHO has identified four major behavioural risk factors that substantially contribute to NCDs; these are tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Therefore, helping people to engage in healthy lifestyle practices, such as quitting smoking, avoiding excessive alcohol use, maintaining a balanced diet and engaging in regular physical activity, can help prevent NCDs. Our project aims to screen individuals for health-risk behaviours and identify risk factors that may contribute to NCDs. Furthermore, we will educate and help individuals in Kwai Chung Estate to change their health risk behaviours and engage in healthy lifestyles. Additionally, this project will develop a training programme - "Train the Trainers’ Toolkit”, with the goal to train student nurses as health ambassadors to implement the project on a long-term basis.

Health-risk behaviours might contribute to the high morbidity and mortality rates associated with NCDs, which have a large impact not only on the health of individuals but also on families, the healthcare system, society and the economy. Implementing targeted NCD interventions through the primary healthcare system is expected to improve early screening, detection and timely treatment of NCDs. Early provision of interventions would help reduce the need for subsequent expensive treatments, thereby reducing healthcare expenditures and decreasing the economic burden on society.

Phase I:   To invite 30 university nursing students (Year 2 to 5) to become health ambassadors

Phase II: To develop a training curriculum and conduct a one-day workshop for 30 university nursing students

Phase III: To invite 300 adults to attend health talks and health checks and recruit 150 adults with health-risk behaviours for the prevention of NCDs through education on healthy lifestyles.

Phase IV: To implement a mobile health brief intervention based on self-determination theory to 150 participants.

It is anticipated that:

• About 10% of participants will successfully abstain from at least one health-risk behaviour at 12-month follow-up


• Significant reduction in health-risk behaviours (≥ 50% reduction from baseline) at 12-month follow-up


• Significant improvements in health-related quality of life, blood pressure, and body mass index at 12-month follow-up compare to baseline

2023

Healthcare, Public Health, Well-being