Background: The use of mobile health applications (apps) is an effective strategy in supporting patients' self-management of heart failure (HF) in home settings, but it remains unclear whether they can be used to reduce sedentary behaviors and increase overall physical activity levels. Aim: The aims of this study were to determine the effect of an 8-week home-based mobile health app intervention on physical activity levels and to assess its effects on symptom burden and health-related quality of life. Method: In this study, we collected repeated-measures data from 132 participants with HF (60.8 ± 10. 47 years) randomized into a usual care group (n = 67) or an 8-week home-based mobile health app intervention group (n = 65). The intervention was tailored to decrease the time spent in sedentary behavior and to increase the time spent in physical activities performed at light or greater intensity levels. Physical activity levels were monitored for 2 weeks before the intervention and during the 8-week intervention using the Samsung mobile health app. Heart failure symptom burden and health-related quality of life were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks from baseline assessment, and immediately post intervention. Results: At week 8, all participants in the intervention group demonstrated an increase in the average daily step counts above the preintervention counts (range of increase: 2351-7925 steps/d). Only 29 participants (45%) achieved an average daily step count of 10000 or higher by week 6 and maintained their achievement to week 8 of the intervention. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a significant group-by-time interaction, indicating that the intervention group had a greater improvement in physical activity levels, symptom burden, and health-related quality of life than the usual care group. Conclusion: Home-based mobile health app-based interventions can increase physical activity levels and can play an important role in promoting better HF outcomes.

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Purpose: Identify the relationships among participants’ lifestyle and their perceptions toward physiological health status. Methods: This is a cross-sectional research study. A convenience sampling was used to recruit 480 adult clients from Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Results: The majority of the participants (48.8%) rated their physiological health status as sub-optimal health. Significant positive associations were found between participants’ perceptions about physiological health status as ‘healthy’ and their positive lifestyle and low-risk behaviors for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). Specifically, the associations were between not being smoker (χ2 = 4.17, p = 0.04), practicing physical activity (χ2 = 60.9, p < 0.001), eating ≥ 5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily (χ2 = 8.33, p = 0.004), and being normal/under-weight (χ2 = 65.5, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Perception about poor/sub-optimal physical health status is associated with many CVD risk factors. Using a brief screening tool to assess physical health status is recommended at each clinic visit. In addition, periodic physical assessment, full check-up, and follow-up with healthcare providers are highly suggested for those who perceived their physical health status as “poor” to prevent further CVD. Health education is pressingly recommended to improve the awareness of these Arab communities toward the prevention of CVD risk factors and enhancement of positive lifestyle behaviors.

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