Exploring the experiences and use of text messages to enhance health behaviours and self-management in South Asian patients

Chaudhry, T

Abstract

This PhD thesis seeks to explore and understand the use and experiences of whether text-messaging in the South-Asian (SA) community enhances positive health behaviours, and self-management through the Florence (FLO) text messaging system. It also examines socio-cultural factors contributing to self-management, patient activation and engagement with text messaging. There is limited literature available on the use of text messaging systems in ethnic groups to support self-management to change health behaviour. In order to optimise self-management in SA ethnic minorities, understanding health behaviours, and behavioural change interventions (for example, mobile health) is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, Health behaviour and behaviour change are explored along with the contextual factors influencing the acceptance and uptake of text messaging.
A mixed methodology consisting of two phases took place within Diabetes and Endocrine clinics held in the Midlands, UK. Phase one included the quantitative element in which the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) was completed to understand participants’ level of skills, knowledge and confidence to self-manage their long-term condition; whilst, phase two utilised qualitative interviews to explore and understand SA participant (n=40) experiences of using a text messaging system and their self-management behaviours. Data was obtained from both users (n=20) and non-users (n=20) of the FLO system.
The PAM was executed for the first time across a SA sample, and vital to provide insight to where SAs are up to with their self-management, and what healthcare providers can do to optimise their self-management. In general, users had higher patient activation levels and better self-management behaviours. Particular themes contributing to SA participant engagement with text messages and self-management included demographics (age, gender roles, ethnicity, religion, education levels and socio-economic/employment status) family support, health beliefs and cultural norms, adoption of traditional remedies over western or prescribed medications, religious and fatalistic beliefs, and language barriers. The findings also generated new knowledge by providing an underpinning on theoretical constructs that played a significant role to better understand SA health behaviour, participant contexts and acceptance to uptake such interventions. Recommendations for future practice and policy include the implementation of culturally appropriate mHealth interventions (i.e., text messaging) to better suit SA participants.

Citation

Chaudhry, T. Exploring the experiences and use of text messages to enhance health behaviours and self-management in South Asian patients. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 5, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 5, 2021
• Award Date: Mar 17, 2021