Key result
MYCardio-PEER lowers Framingham CVD risk scores and improves diet vs standard care in low-income adults.
Why the study?
Low-income communities face a high CVD burden and lack preventive care, but evidence on peer-based digital lifestyle interventions in this population remains limited.
Does an 8-week peer-led digital health lifestyle intervention reduce Framingham General CVD risk score in adults from a low-income community at risk of CVD?
Does an 8-week peer-led digital health lifestyle intervention reduce Framingham General CVD risk score in adults from a low-income community at risk of CVD?
A peer-led digital health lifestyle intervention significantly improved cardiovascular risk profiles and dietary behaviors in a low-income population.
Supports peer-led digital programs in low-income adults; extends RCT evidence for scalable CVD risk reduction.
Background and aimsLow-income communities face a disproportionately high burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), yet often lack access to preventive care.Peer-based interventions delivered through digital platforms offer a potentially scalable approach to address these disparities, but evidence remains limited.Our study evaluated the preliminary impact of an 8-week peer-led digital health lifestyle intervention (MYCardio-PEER) in improving knowledge, lifestyle behaviours and biomarkers related to cardiovascular health among a low-income population. Methods and resultsAdults from the low-income community at risk of CVD were assigned to the intervention group (n = 30) or the control group (n = 31).The intervention included peer-led bite-sized educational videos, infographic posters, and interactive activities over eight weeks.The control group received standard lifestyle advice and printed materials for CVD prevention.The primary outcome was the reduction in Framingham General CVD risk score (FRS).The secondary outcomes include clinical biomarkers, CVD-related knowledge, lifestyle and dietary behaviours.Assessments were conducted at Week 0 (baseline), Week 8 (postintervention) and Week 20 (follow-up).Compared to controls, MYCardioPEER intervention group demonstrated a greater reduction in FRS (F = 3.937, p = 0.029, 2 = 0.063), energy intake (F = 8.807, p<0.001, 2 = 0.130), and processed foods consumption (F = 3.248, p = 0.046, 2 = 0.052).Additionally, participants in the intervention group had a significantly greater increase in dietary fibre intake (F = 11.126,p<0.001, 2 = 0.159). ConclusionMYCardio-PEER significantly improved health behaviours and cardiovascular risk profiles in low-resource settings.Peer-led digital interventions such as MYCardio-PEER may provide a scalable, community-centred strategy to reduce CVD risk factors and improve health equity in underserved populations.
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Lim et al. (2026) studied this question. The MYCardio-PEER 8-week digital intervention significantly reduced Framingham CVD risk scores (p=0.029) and improved dietary behaviors compared to standard care in low-income adults.
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