STAR-C: Sustainable behaviour change for health supported by person-Tailored, Adaptive, Risk-aware digital Coaching in a social context

Problem to solve: As one of the very few long-term CVD prevention programmes globally that is integrated into routine primary health care, the Västerbotten Intervention Programme (VIP) has been shown as a cost-effective intervention which combines low-risk population and high-risk individual approaches to significantly reduce overall and CVD specific premature mortality.

However, little is known about how social networks and use of social media could be used to amplify the effect of VIP. The growth of digital and health information technologies provide an opportunity to tailor and personalise health promotion messages in the VIP, while simultaneously also widening its outreach into the population.

STAR-C is a collaboration between four faculties at Umeå University and Region Västerbotten. Our team of experienced and newly established researchers is multidisciplinary, and has extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative methods.

We employ a mixed methods design in seven interconnected and complementary projects, which will run in two phases from 2019-2024: (i) a formative intervention design and development phase, and (ii) an intervention evaluation phase. STAR-C will use gender and equity lenses in all phases of the programme.

STAR-C aims to strengthen collaboration between researchers, health professionals, and the population, thereby creating more effective preventive and health promotion efforts, and reducing health inequalities. Lessons learned will be shared both within Sweden and elsewhere across the globe.