Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Effect of smartphone‑based education on knowledge and self‑care of reproductive health in married students

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Azam Karimi Vanestanagh
. Azizeh Farshbaf‑Khalili 1
. Khalil Esmaeilpour 2
. Mohammad Asghari Jafarabadi 3
. Niloufar Sattarzadeh Jahdi

1 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Centre, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

2 Department of Psychology,Faculty of Education and Psychology, Tabriz University, Tabriz, Iran

3 Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

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 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 two groups of educational intervention and control.
Smartphone‑based software education designed in four areas of reproductive health. Intervention
group was 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‑23
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 (standard deviation [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
subdomain of self‑care.

Keywords

Knowledge
mobile application
reproductive health
self‑care
smart phone
software 
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 11, Issue 3
March 2021
Pages 1-8

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