Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide, representing a multifaceted challenge due to its complex nature and the interplay of various risk factors. While commonly prevalent in the elderly, there is a concerning trend of increasing incidence among younger age groups who may not prioritise their health adequately, attributed to the prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles. Increasing knowledge and awareness of CVD is essential to reducing CVD mortality and preventing CVD. Various interventions, including marketing campaigns and community events, aim to educate the general public and induce behavioural changes. Among these, information systems interventions, especially mobile phone applications, are the most applicable to young adults. However, there is limited research on utilising mobile applications to increase CVD knowledge and awareness among young adults. Therefore, this study aims to explore on how to design a fit-for-purpose cardiovascular-related health application for young adults to improve their knowledge and awareness, offering potential suggestions tailored to the needs of this population.

Given that the research objectives involve multiple variables, such as knowledge and awareness levels, application usage experience, and design feature preferences, a qualitative research methodology has been adopted. This study employs two major processes: a systematic literature review and a survey questionnaire. The systematic literature review was conducted to guide the research. An online survey that includes a combination of multiple-choice and open-ended questions was applied to evaluate respondents’ existing knowledge and awareness levels, as well as their preferences regarding applications.

A total of 118 responses were collected, comprising a gender distribution of 50.85% female and 50.00% within the 18 – 30 age range. Results from statistical analysis indicate a positive correlation between higher CVD knowledge levels and increased awareness of CVD risk factors among respondents. Over half of the participants reported the use of health-related applications, with more than 80% of those who had used a health application still utilising functions related to cardiovascular health. Detect Heart Rate or Blood Pressure, Calculate Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Support Wearable Devices, Track Lifestyle, and Suggestions to Change Unhealthy Habits were identified to be the top five preferred functionalities.

Thematic analysis of open-ended questions identified five themes: Interface Aesthetics, Presentation Design, Information Management, Usability, and Operation. It was found that Interface Aesthetics was the most significant design feature influencing the usage of a cardiovascular related health application.

This study provides an assessment of young adults’ cardiovascular health knowledge and awareness level, as well as their health application usage. It contributes to the literature on information systems interventions for CVD, facilitating the design of cardiovascular health applications tailored to this demographic’s needs. Future research should consider developing appropriate application prototypes and evaluating their effectiveness in raising CVD knowledge and awareness among young adults.