Effect of Smartphone -based Education on Knowledge and Self-Care of Reproductive Health in Married Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial- 2020

Abstract

Abstract: Background: Education by Smartphone-based Software is a new method among the world's educational practices. Due to the lack of studies on the effect of this way of education on promoting knowledge and self-care behaviors of students' reproductive health this study aimed to determine the effect of Smartphone-based software education on knowledge and self-care behaviors in the field of reproductive health. Materials and Methods: This RCT with 164 married female students (82 in each group) conducted from October 2019 to January 2020, in Tabriz University and Tabriz Medical University. Participants were randomly allocated to 2 groups of educational Intervention and control. Smartphone-based software education designed in four areas of reproductive health. Intervention group were trained for 4 weeks. The score of knowledge and self-care behaviors of participants in both groups were compared at baseline and 8 weeks after intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS-21 software using chi-square, independent t-tests, and analysis of covariance tests. Results: Eight weeks after the intervention, a significant increase was observed in the mean (SD) score of overall knowledge for reproductive health and all its subdomains (p<0.001), as well as in in the mean (SD) self-care score of reproductive health and all subdomains (p <0.05), except for the family planning in the education group compared to the control group. Conclusion: The findings indicate a significant effect of Smartphone-based software on increasing students' knowledge and self-care in all areas of reproductive health except for family planning sub-domain of self-care. .