Social Network Lifestyle Interventions Reduce Non-Communicable Diseases Risk Factors in Financial Sector Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: To determine if scientifically based social network (Facebook) lifestyle interventions reduce 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Methods: Financial sector employees (n = 300) were equally randomly assigned: Facebook plus Health Professionals (FB+HP), Facebook (FB), or control (C). We report changes in 10-year Framingham risk score (FRS) for CVD (%) and risk factors over 12 months.

Results: FRS did not change within and between groups. Overweight (-7.4% vs -5.6%, P = 0.005) and diabetes risk (-10.7% vs 0.2%, P = 0.011) reduced significantly in FB+HP versus FB and C, respectively. Inadequate fruit/vegetable intake (-9.4% vs 3.6%, P = 0.011) and smoking (-0.7% vs 14.9%) reduced significantly in FB versus C. No significant changes in physical activity, central obesity, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia between groups.

Conclusions: Scientifically based social network lifestyle intervention programs could be included in workplace health promotional programmes to improve certain non-communicable disease risk factors.