Effectiveness of text message intervention to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents in dental health care for 3-year-old children at some preschools in Phu Ly city, Ha Nam province

Abstract

In the world, the application of mobile health (ehealth) in improving population health is increasingly popular. This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions using mobile messages to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices of parents in dental health care for 3-year-old children at four preschools in Phu Ly City, Ha Nam province. A randomised controlled trial of a community intervention was enrolled (208 parents for intervention group, for control group 222). The intervention group was received text message about during 12 months. Knowledge, attitude and practice about oral care for children were surveyed by structured questionnaires at three study time points: pre-intervention. The Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) regression model for repeat measurement was applied to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on parental knowledge-attitudes-practice. Research results show that intervention parents are 1.72 times more likely to have knowledge than parents in the control group (OR=1,72, 95%CI=1,25-2,38), intervention parents are likely to have a high positive attitude 1.56 times more than parents in the control group (OR=1,56, 95%CI=1,08- 2,27), intervention parents are 1.51 times more likely to achieve practice than parents without intervention (OR=1,51, 95%CI=1,12-2,03). These results show the feasibility and acceptability of implementing these interventions to the population to prevent early tooth decay in children.