Assessing the Impact of a Social Media-Based Educational Intervention Using WhatsApp Video Messages on Dental Caries Prevention Knowledge, Oral Hygiene Practices, and Attitudes Toward Dental Health Among Primary School Children Aged 10-12 Years in Public Schools in Cairo Governorate, Egypt: A Quasi-
Effectiveness of Social Media-Based Educational Intervention (WhatsApp) on Dental Health Knowledge, Practices, and Attitudes Among Primary School Children Aged 10-12 Years in Cairo, Egypt: A Quasi-Experimental Study
1 other identifier
interventional
150
1 country
1
Brief Summary
The goal of this study is to learn if educational videos sent through WhatsApp can improve dental health knowledge, healthy habits, and attitudes in primary school children aged 10 to 12 years in Cairo, Egypt. The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Do children who receive dental health videos through WhatsApp have better knowledge about caring for their teeth after 8 weeks compared to children who do not receive the videos?
- Do children who watch the videos brush their teeth more often and correctly, and make healthier food choices?
- Do children who watch the videos feel more positive about taking care of their teeth and visiting the dentist? Researchers will compare children in Grade 5 who receive 6 short dental health videos through WhatsApp (one video per week for 6 weeks) to children in Grade 6 who continue their normal school activities to see if the videos lead to better knowledge, healthy habits, and more positive attitudes about dental health. Participants will:
- Answer questions about their dental health knowledge, tooth brushing and eating habits, and feelings about dental care at the start of the study (takes about 15 to 20 minutes in a private room at school)
- Children in Grade 5 will join a WhatsApp group and receive one short video (2 to 5 minutes) each week for 6 weeks about topics like why teeth are important, how to brush teeth correctly, which foods are goo
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Feb 2026
Shorter than P25 for not_applicable
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
January 15, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
January 23, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
February 1, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
May 20, 2026
ExpectedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 30, 2026
January 23, 2026
January 1, 2026
4 months
January 15, 2026
January 15, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Change in Dental Health Knowledge Score
Change in dental health knowledge from baseline to Week 8, measured using a validated 10-item questionnaire. Each correct answer scores 1 point (total score range 0-10, with higher scores indicating better knowledge). Questions assess knowledge about tooth anatomy and functions, causes of tooth decay, proper brushing technique, recommended brushing frequency and duration, beneficial and harmful foods for teeth, and importance of regular dental visits. Good knowledge is defined as a score of 8 or higher out of 10. The primary outcome is the mean change in knowledge score between baseline and Week 8.
Baseline (Week 0) and 8 weeks after baseline
Secondary Outcomes (1)
Change in Dental Health Practices Score
Baseline (Week 0) and 8 weeks after baseline
Study Arms (2)
Intervention Group
EXPERIMENTALGrade 5 students (n=75) who receive six educational videos about dental health delivered via WhatsApp over 6 weeks (one video per week, posted every Monday at 4:00 PM). Videos are 2-5 minutes long and cover: Week 1 - Why teeth are important, Week 2 - Proper brushing technique, Week 3 - Foods that harm teeth, Week 4 - Foods good for teeth, Week 5 - Importance of dental visits, Week 6 - Fun tips for healthy smiles. All videos are in Arabic with colorful animations appropriate for children aged 10-12 years. Children are assessed at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8).
Control Group
NO INTERVENTIONGrade 6 students (n=75) who continue their usual school curriculum and home activities without receiving study-related educational materials during the 8-week study period. Children are assessed at baseline (Week 0) and at Week 8 using the same questionnaires as the intervention group. After completing post-intervention assessments, this group will be invited to join a separate WhatsApp group to receive all six educational videos for ethical reciprocity.
Interventions
Six educational videos about dental health delivered via a closed WhatsApp group over 6 weeks (one video per week, posted every Monday at 4:00 PM). Each video is 2-5 minutes long, features Arabic voiceover with colorful animations, and is age-appropriate for children aged 10-12 years. Video topics: Week 1 - Importance of teeth (anatomy, functions, consequences of tooth loss), Week 2 - Proper brushing technique (circular motion, all surfaces, 2-minute duration, twice daily), Week 3 - Foods that harm teeth (sugary foods, sticky snacks, frequent eating), Week 4 - Foods good for teeth (calcium-rich foods, crunchy vegetables, water), Week 5 - Importance of dental visits (professional cleaning, preventive care, reducing fear), Week 6 - Fun tips for healthy smiles (review, establishing routines, positive reinforcement). All videos selected based on evidence-based content aligned with WHO and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Children aged 10 to 12 years (Grades 5 or 6)
- Enrolled in the selected public primary school in Cairo, Egypt
- Able to understand and speak Arabic
- Parent or legal guardian provides written informed consent
- Child provides verbal assent to participate
- Child or parent has access to a smartphone with WhatsApp (for intervention group only)
- Child or parent willing to join WhatsApp group and view educational videos (for intervention group only)
- Able to complete questionnaire interview in Arabic
You may not qualify if:
- Children with severe cognitive or developmental disabilities that would prevent understanding questionnaire items or educational content
- Children with serious chronic medical conditions requiring intensive medical care that would interfere with study participation
- Children who are unable to attend school regularly (more than 2 days absence per week on average)
- Children who plan to transfer to another school during the study period (8 weeks)
- Children whose parents refuse consent or who refuse to provide assent
- Children currently participating in another dental health education program or clinical trial
- For intervention group: children or parents without smartphone access or unwilling to use WhatsApp
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Military Medical Academy, Bulgariacollaborator
- Cairo Universitycollaborator
- Rana Mohamed Ahmed Farghallead
Study Sites (1)
Mount International School, New Administrative Capital
Cairo, Cairo Governorate, Egypt
Related Publications (5)
Soldani F, Wu J. School based oral health education. Evid Based Dent. 2018 Jun;19(2):36-37. doi: 10.1038/sj.ebd.6401298.
PMID: 29930371BACKGROUNDTowle-Miller LM, Miecznikowski JC, Zhang F, Tritchler DL. SuMO-Fil: Supervised multi-omic filtering prior to performing network analysis. PLoS One. 2021 Aug 3;16(8):e0255579. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255579. eCollection 2021.
PMID: 34343218RESULTCooper AM, O'Malley LA, Elison SN, Armstrong R, Burnside G, Adair P, Dugdill L, Pine C. Primary school-based behavioural interventions for preventing caries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 May 31;2013(5):CD009378. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009378.pub2.
PMID: 23728691RESULTSocial Media Interventions Chen Y, Smith M, Johnson K. Social media interventions for health promotion among adolescents and young adults: A meta-analysis. Digital Health. 2025;11:20552076251234568.
RESULTType: Other Full Citation: Hassan NM, Gaber A, El-Sayed MH. Oral health status, knowledge, and behaviors among school children in Cairo, Egypt, and their impact on quality of life. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry. 2019;11:369-380.
RESULT
Related Links
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- STUDY DIRECTOR
Passant Nagi, PHD
Cairo University, Military Medical Academy
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Rana M FARGHAL, B.D.S.
Military Medical Academy, Bulgaria
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- NON RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Technical Advisor, Office of the Egyptian Minister of Health and Population
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
January 15, 2026
First Posted
January 23, 2026
Study Start
February 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
May 20, 2026
Study Completion (Estimated)
June 30, 2026
Last Updated
January 23, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-01
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will not share
Individual participant data will not be shared to protect the privacy of child participants and comply with ethical approval conditions. Summary results will be publicly available through the study's published thesis, peer-reviewed journal articles, and aggregate results posted on ClinicalTrials.gov.