Effect of Education Based on Trans-Theoretical Model in Social Media on Students with Gingivitis; a Randomized Controlled Trial

Social media has increasingly been used as a tool to deliver health education. This study examined the effect of a Telegram delivered oral health education program on self-efficacy, perceived benefits and barriers, gingival index, motivational beliefs, and dental cleaning behavior among students with gingivitis.

This randomized controlled trial was conducted in Sanandaj city, Iran, from January to December 2019. A total of 160 students were recruited from 8 schools and randomized into intervention and control groups. An oral health education program aimed at increasing dental cleaning behavior was developed based on the trans-theoretical model. The program consisted of 9 sessions delivered via a social media app called Telegram for 24 weeks. Outcomes included dental cleaning behavior, perceived self-efficacy, benefits, barriers, motivational beliefs, and gingival index, measured at baseline and 24 weeks after the intervention.

There were significant differences between the intervention and the control groups in the mean scores of perceived self-efficacy (p=0.01), perceived benefits (p=0.01), motivational beliefs (p=0.01), and gingival index (p=0.01) after the intervention. Further, 71.3% (n=57) of students in the intervention group (versus 10.1% (n=10) in the control group) performed the dental cleaning behavior after intervention (p<0.01).

The findings showed that an oral health education program delivered via social media apps could improve students' oral health. Social media apps could reach a broad range of users, thus could improve access to oral health education programs.