Mobile Phone Messaging To Improve Oral Hygiene Among Primary School Children in Pakistan

NCT03390452 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2212-HSA/Ph.D-2015
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 362
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

Oral health is an important component of general health and oral cavity acts as a mirror to the health of individuals and communities. Inadequate focus on primary prevention of oral diseases, poses a sizeable challenge for numerous countries, especially low and middle income countries. Mobile phone technology is relatively new and its successes in chronic disease is well documented but there is little evidence available in its use for improving oral health and dietary habits of children. This will be a Pilot Randomized Control Trial (RCT) . It will be conducted in public and private sector schools of Quetta city, Pakistan. Study will comprise of intervention and a control arm. Duration of intervention is 6 months. In the intervention group, study participants will be the parents. School teachers will send oral health education and reminder messages on frequent intervals to educate children's parents on oral hygiene and reinforce their behaviors to improve their child oral health. The primary school children in the control group will not receive any intervention

Conditions

Oral Hygiene; Dental Plaque Induced Gingivitis

Keywords

mHealth; Oral Health; Primary School Children; Mobile Phone Messaging

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in the Oral Hygiene Index Scores

  Oral hygiene will be measured through "Simplified Oral Hygiene Index" (OHI-S). Each participant will undergo a dental examination in the school by a trained group of examiners (Qualified Dentists). The WHO recommended protocols for Dental examinations will be followed in assessing outcome measure. Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) was developed by Greene and Vermillion in 1964. The OHI-S has two components, the Debris Index (DI) and the Calculus Index (CI). Each of these indexes is based on numerical determinations representing the amount of debris or calculus found on the pre-selected tooth surfaces. For each individual, the debris scores are totaled and divided by the number of surfaces scored. The average individual or group debris and calculus scores are combined to obtain the "Simplified Oral Hygiene Index". The group baseline scores for both the arms will be compared with the post-intervention scores to observe the change (if any) to conclude the study results

  6 months

Study Arms (2)

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

The parents will receive "Mobile phone messages" about oral hygiene and healthy dieting of their children through teachers. The message format will be text and images, depending upon the education/ literacy level of the parents. Parents will be reminded and information reinforced, at frequent intervals for a period of six months. Oral hygiene of School children will be assessed before intervention, after 6 months interval

Behavioral: Mobile Phone Messaging

Control

NO INTERVENTION

The primary school children in the control group will not receive any intervention via their parents or teachers (in-active controls) but will be observed on selected outcome measures for baseline data, then at six month interval to compare for differences (if any) with intervention group.

Interventions

Mobile Phone Messaging BEHAVIORAL

Parents of primary school children will receive "Mobile Phone Messages" regarding their children's oral hygiene maintenance and their positive dietary habits.

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 5 Years - 12 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• School children enrolled in primary schools (public and private) in Quetta city.
• Primary School children who are permanent residents of Quetta

You may not qualify if:

• Primary School children whose parents/caregivers do not own a mobile phone
• Primary School children having orthodontic or any other mouth appliance for example Braces etc.
• Primary School children who have been diagnosed for a systemic illness e.g. Blood disorders or, Diabetes
• Primary School children who are absent during the time of data collection

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan: lead

Study Sites (2)

Ashfaq Ahmed Khawajakhail

Quetta, Balochistan, 87300, Pakistan

Location

Dental Section, Sandman Provincial Hospital Quetta

Quetta, Balochistan, 87300, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (15)

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  PMID: 23249443 BACKGROUND

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  PMID: 19694774 BACKGROUND

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Study Officials

• Ashfaq A Khawajakhail, MPH

  Health services Academy, Islamabad

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: QUADRUPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PhD Fellow (Public Health)

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 11, 2016
• First Posted: January 4, 2018
• Study Start: September 1, 2018
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2019
• Study Completion: October 30, 2019
• Last Updated: February 11, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-02

Locations

PA (2)