Personalised Active Self-management of Sleep Apnea Program

This is a two-group pilot randomised control trial with a 4-month follow-up. Forty subjects (30 for the intervention group and 30 for the control group) will be recruited Subject. Subjects in intervention group will receive a 4-month Personalized and Adaptive Sleep Support Program (PASS), a digital platform-based intervention guided by social cognitive theory and use brief motivational interviewing (brief MI) to enhance subjects' psychological capacity and motivation, feel confident in managing chronic situations, and provide continuous individual support. The PASS is a 4-month program utilizing a multimodal approach with three main components: i) A 20-Minute Brief Motivational Interviewing Session, ii) a digital platform, and iii) a continuous personalized chat-based messaging and phone call support. The 20-minute interviewing session utilizes Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques to engage and motivate participants in managing their OSA. The digital platform providing multiple functions for OSA subjects, including self-selection of personalised OSA health-related videos and information, tracking Positive airway pressure treatment adherence, physical activity levels, diet, sleep habits, body weight, blood pressure, and setting personal health goals. The continuous personalized chat-based messaging and phone call support provides ongoing, tailored support and encouragement through messaging, helping to engage and adhere to the program. Participants receive additional support through regular phone calls, offering a more personal touch and the opportunity to address any specific concerns or challenges they may be facing. Participants in control group will receive a 4-month general hygiene program, including (i) A 20-minute session, (ii) messaging, and (iii) phone call support.

Program feasibility and acceptability will be evaluated via semi-structured interviews at 4 months, while primary outcomes (PAP uptake) and secondary outcomes (including PAP adherence, self-efficacy, health-related habits, and quality of life) will be measured using a combination of self-administered questionnaires (e.g., SEMSA, ESS, ISI), objective activity trackers, and data retrieved from PAP machines at baseline and 4 months, with clinical outcomes like BMI and OSA severity assessed at baseline and the 4-month follow-up.

Self-administered questionnaires will be used at baseline and 4 months, and objective assessment tools (such as sleep tests) will be used at baseline and 4-month follow-up. PAP adherence will be downloaded from PAP machines (if available) for all subjects in both groups at baseline and month 4.

Individual interviews will be conducted after a 4-month program. The aims are to (i) explore subjects' perception and satisfaction with the programme, (ii) understand the impacts and extent to which the changes have sustained and integrated into their daily life; and (iii) identify elements of the programme they view as helpful/unhelpful in supporting them to increase self-management ability, (iv) explore the facilitators and barriers for exercise adherence. If subjects withdraw from the assessment or drop out of the programme, they will not be asked for the reasons, and it will not affect the current treatment and follow-up.

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 18 years and above
• Newly diagnosed with OSA (diagnosis made within the past year)
• Newly started or not yet started Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) treatment, with a treatment duration of less than 6 months
• Physically inactive (self-reported moderate physical activity per week of <150 minutes)
• Overweight (BMI≥23 kg/m2)
• Mentally, cognitively, and physically fit to join the trial as determined by the doctor in charge and responsible clinical investigators
• Able to speak, read, and write Chinese
• Willing to complete the questionnaires and assessments
• Has a smartphone

Exclusion criteria

• Clinically significant psychiatric disorder
• Use of prescription drugs or clinically significant drugs affecting sleep.