Improving Oral Health Knowledge and Habits in People With Diabetes Through a Theory Guided WhatsApp Education Program

NCT07323771 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: IRB4057/DUHS/Approval/2025/294
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 98
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this Educational interventional study is to test the usefulness of an educational program delivered through WhatsApp videos in increasing oral health knowledge and habits in people with Diabetes between the age of 18 and 65 years. The main question it aims to answer is: Does a WhatsApp-based educational Program improve oral health knowledge and behaviors in people with diabetes, and is it more effective than education delivered through brochures? Participants in one group will receive educational videos through WhatsApp, while the other group receive a brochure containing oral health information. Researchers will then compare the groups to see if the intervention made a difference. Participants will:

• Fill a baseline questionnaire to assess their current knowledge and behaviors.
• They then either participate in a one-month educational program delivered through WhatsApp, or receive an educational brochure.
• Wait for 1 month after the program to allow for application of knowledge.
• Fill a post intervention questionnaire to assess changes in knowledge and behavior.

Conditions

Oral Health Knowledge; Oral Health Behavior Change; Diabetes Type 2

Keywords

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Dental Health Education; Health Belief Model; Digital Health; Social Media

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Oral Health Knowledge Score

  The participant's knowledge about the relationship between diabetes and oral health issues, will be assessed through a structured Questionnaire consisting of 10 binary items. (Yes = 1, No = 0). A total knowledge score ranging from 0 to 10 will be calculated by summing item responses, with higher scores indicating greater oral health knowledge. Pre- and post-knowledge scores will be compared, and cutoff scores will be calculated using the mean and Standard Deviation.

  Baseline and 4 weeks after intervention

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Health Belief Model Construct Scores

  Baseline and 4 weeks after intervention

• Oral Hygiene Behavior Score

  Baseline and 4 weeks after intervention

Study Arms (2)

Educational Brochure Group

OTHER

Participants in this group receive oral health education through an educational brochure

Behavioral: Educational Brochure Group

Health Belief Model Based WhatsApp Oral Health Education Program

OTHER

Participants receive a Health Belief Model (HBM) based oral health education program through WhatsApp videos for four weeks.

Behavioral: Health Belief Model (HBM) Based WhatsApp Oral Health Education Program

Interventions

Health Belief Model (HBM) Based WhatsApp Oral Health Education Program BEHAVIORAL

The program includes short educational videos, weekly thematic content, reminders, and behavior-reinforcement messages aimed at enhancing oral health knowledge, HBM constructs, and oral hygiene behaviors among individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Health Belief Model Based WhatsApp Oral Health Education Program

Educational Brochure Group BEHAVIORAL

The Educational brochure provides information on the relationship between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and oral health and recommended oral hygiene practices. No WhatsApp based videos are provided during the study period

Educational Brochure Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults aged 18-65 years with a confirmed diagnosis of T2DM
• Able to use WhatsApp for the study duration
• Able to read and write in Urdu

You may not qualify if:

• Edentulous
• Individuals diagnosed with life-threatening diseases such as advanced cancer, end-stage renal disease, or severe cardiac failure
• Diminished cognitive ability
• Radiotherapy in head and neck region.
• Planning to migrate during the study period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Dow University of Health Sciences: lead

Study Sites (1)

National Institute of Diabetes & Endocrinology

Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Location

Related Publications (6)

• Jacome-Hortua AM, Rincon-Rueda ZR, Sanchez-Ramirez DC, Angarita-Fonseca A. Effects of a WhatsApp-Assisted Health Educational Intervention for Cardiac Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Protocol. Methods Protoc. 2024 Apr 19;7(2):35. doi: 10.3390/mps7020035.

  PMID: 38668142 BACKGROUND

• Gao X, Wong ML, Kalhan AC, Xie JJ, Siti Hajar H, Yeo ABK, Allen PF. Theory-derived intervention to improve oral health of older adults: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2022 Dec 12;12(12):e064791. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064791.

  PMID: 36523250 BACKGROUND

• Jeihooni AK, Jamshidi H, Kashfi SM, Avand A, Khiyali Z. The Effect of Health Education Program Based on Health Belief Model on Oral Health Behaviors in Pregnant Women of Fasa City, Fars Province, South of Iran. J Int Soc Prev Community Dent. 2017 Nov-Dec;7(6):336-343. doi: 10.4103/jispcd.JISPCD_339_17. Epub 2017 Dec 29.

  PMID: 29387617 RESULT

• Omar MA, Hasan S, Palaian S, Mahameed S. The impact of a self-management educational program coordinated through WhatsApp on diabetes control. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2020 Apr-Jun;18(2):1841. doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2020.2.1841. Epub 2020 May 3.

  PMID: 32477434 RESULT

• Haghdoost A, Bakhshandeh S, Tohidi S, Ghorbani Z, Namdari M. Improvement of oral health knowledge and behavior of diabetic patients: an interventional study using the social media. BMC Oral Health. 2023 Jun 3;23(1):359. doi: 10.1186/s12903-023-03007-w.

  PMID: 37270487 RESULT

• Malekmahmoodi M, Shamsi M, Roozbahani N, Moradzadeh R. A randomized controlled trial of an educational intervention to promote oral and dental health of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMC Public Health. 2020 Mar 4;20(1):287. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-8395-4.

  PMID: 32131790 RESULT

Related Links

• Provides general information on the relationship between diabetes and oral health and guidance on maintaining good oral hygiene habits to prevent gum disease and oral complications.
• Provides concise information on how diabetes increases the risk of oral diseases such as gum infection and tooth decay, and emphasizes the importance of good oral hygiene and regular dental care as part of diabetes management.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2

Interventions

Health Belief Model

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Diabetes Mellitus; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Endocrine System Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Models, Theoretical; Investigative Techniques; Models, Psychological

Study Officials

• ILMA KIRAN, BDS, MPH

  Dow University of Health Sciences

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: This study was single blinded in which participants were not informed about the presence of two distinct groups; they were only aware about receiving education related to oral health.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: MPH Trainee and Lecturer

Model Details: Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group or the control group, following a 1:1 allocation ratio. The randomization process was stratified based on three key characteristics including gender, educational level, and duration of diabetes, to ensure balanced distribution and to minimize potential bias. Randomization was conducted using random number generator where each participant was assigned a random number, then participants were allocated equally into either Intervention Group which received HBM based education via WhatsApp or control Group which received an educational brochure.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 8, 2025
• First Posted: January 7, 2026
• Study Start: September 15, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2025
• Study Completion: November 30, 2025
• Last Updated: January 7, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)