Using Digital Technology for the Prevention of Aedes-Borne Diseases in Colombian Communities
DigiAedes
Use of Technology for Social Mobilization to Improve the Prevention and Control of Aedes-borne Diseases (Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya) in Colombia
1 other identifier
interventional
900
2 countries
2
Brief Summary
Arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, remain an important public health concern in Colombian communities. Digital health tools such as WhatsApp may provide an opportunity to strengthen preventive behaviors and community engagement in vector control efforts. Therefore, a quasi-experimental implementation study was conducted in two endemic municipalities, Villa del Rosario and Los Patios, in Colombia, to evaluate a WhatsApp-based digital health strategy designed to support the prevention and control of Aedes-borne diseases and to promote the application of a protective coating (PC) in laundry tanks, one of the main breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes. The main questions it aims to answer are: Whether a WhatsApp-based digital health intervention, added to community-based strategies, can improve household preventive practices against Aedes-borne diseases, compared with community strategies alone or routine vector control activities. Whether the combined use of WhatsApp messaging and community-based promotion of protective coating in laundry tanks can reduce Aedes entomological indices, compared with clusters not receiving the full intervention. Whether the intervention is feasible and acceptable for households and community participants in endemic urban settings. The study was conducted in three geographically separated clusters of approximately 3,000 - 3,500 households each. Cluster 1 received community strategies plus WhatsApp messaging, cluster 2 received community strategies only, and cluster 3 served as the control group. Protective coating was applied in clusters 1 and 2. The study included three phases: a pre-intervention baseline assessment, an intervention phase with interim assessment, and a post-intervention final evaluation and follow-up. Household surveys and entomological inspections were conducted to assess preventive practices, vector indices, and acceptance of the intervention.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Mar 2026
2 active sites
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
Click on a node to explore related trials.
Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
March 26, 2026
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
March 26, 2026
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
March 26, 2026
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
March 27, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
April 8, 2026
CompletedApril 8, 2026
April 1, 2026
Same day
March 27, 2026
April 3, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (1)
Change in household preventive practices for Aedes-borne disease prevention
Change from baseline to post-intervention in the proportion of households reporting certain preventive practices, such as weekly cleaning of laundry tanks, management of small water containers, and covering water containers.
Baseline and 9 months after intervention initiation (final evaluation).
Secondary Outcomes (9)
Change in House Index
Baseline, 4 months after protective coating application, and 9 months after intervention initiation.
Change in Container Index
Baseline, 4 months after protective coating application, and 9 months after intervention initiation.
Change in Breteau Index
Baseline, 4 months after protective coating application, and 9 months after intervention initiation.
Change in Pupae per Person Index
Baseline, 4 months after protective coating application, and 9 months after intervention initiation.
Acceptability score in terms of perceived usefulness of the WhatsApp-based mHealth intervention
4 months after protective coating application and 9 months after intervention initiation.
- +4 more secondary outcomes
Study Arms (3)
Full intervention
EXPERIMENTALCommunity strategies plus WhatsApp messaging and protective coating in laundry tanks.
Partial intervention
ACTIVE COMPARATORCommunity strategies plus protective coating only.
Control
NO INTERVENTIONRoutine vector control activities.
Interventions
Participants received WhatsApp messages in Spanish to promote prevention and control of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya and to support uptake of the PC intervention. Messages included health education, health promotion, behavior reinforcement, and reminders on cleaning water containers and preparing laundry tanks before coating application. Messages were brief, delivered through the WhatsApp broadcast function, and additional voice messages were provided when clarification was needed. This intervention was intended for health promotion only and not for medical care.
Community-based promotion activities were conducted by trained community volunteers and supported by vector control staff. These activities included household visits, direct instructions on how to prepare laundry tanks for coating application, distribution of flyers and stickers, and local announcements to inform households about the intervention.
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Households/participants resided within one of the study clusters.
- The household had a laundry tank.
- One adult household member (household head or another adult resident) was available to participate and provide informed consent.
- For participation in the WhatsApp component, the participant owned a smartphone with WhatsApp installed and was able to read and respond to simple WhatsApp messages.
You may not qualify if:
- Uninhabited households.
- Households without a laundry tank.
- Households already using biological vector control methods in the laundry tank, particularly larvivorous fish.
- For the WhatsApp component, households or users without access to a smartphone or without WhatsApp installed.
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (2)
Instituto Departamental de Salud de Norte de Santander
Cúcuta, Norte de Satander, 540001, Colombia
Centre for Medicine and Society
Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Wurttemberg, 79098, Germany
Related Publications (4)
Cardenas R, Cabrera OL, Carrillo MA, Pineda A, Ahumada ML, Yanez Y, Ismail H, Paine M, Rivera T, Kroeger A. Aedes aegypti control in breeding sites through an insecticidal coating with dual effect: Laboratory trials and safety assessment. Med Vet Entomol. 2025 Jun;39(2):252-265. doi: 10.1111/mve.12776. Epub 2024 Nov 14.
PMID: 39543943RESULTCarrillo MA, Gessler AM, Rivera Ramirez T, Cardenas Sanchez R, Lindenmeier J, Kern WV, Kroeger A. WhatsApp-based intervention in urban Colombia to support the prevention of arboviral diseases: a feasibility study. Pathog Glob Health. 2024 Jun;118(4):334-347. doi: 10.1080/20477724.2024.2358263. Epub 2024 May 24.
PMID: 38794811RESULTCarrillo MA, Cardenas R, Yanez J, Petzold M, Kroeger A. Risk of dengue, Zika, and chikungunya transmission in the metropolitan area of Cucuta, Colombia: cross-sectional analysis, baseline for a cluster-randomised controlled trial of a novel vector tool for water containers. BMC Public Health. 2023 May 30;23(1):1000. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-15893-4.
PMID: 37254133RESULTCarrillo MA, Kroeger A, Cardenas Sanchez R, Diaz Monsalve S, Runge-Ranzinger S. The use of mobile phones for the prevention and control of arboviral diseases: a scoping review. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jan 9;21(1):110. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-10126-4.
PMID: 33422034RESULT
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- NON RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- OTHER
- Responsible Party
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
- PI Title
- Principal Investigator
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
March 27, 2026
First Posted
April 8, 2026
Study Start
March 26, 2026
Primary Completion
March 26, 2026
Study Completion
March 26, 2026
Last Updated
April 8, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-04
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Shared Documents
- STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
- Time Frame
- Up to 12 months after publication.
- Access Criteria
- Access will be limited to de-identified household-level data and will be granted only for research purposes, upon reasonable request to the corresponding author and in accordance with the informed consent provided by participants and the ethical approvals of the study. No directly identifiable participant, household, or WhatsApp contact information will be released.
De-identified household-level data generated during this study may be shared partially through publications and supplementary materials, and additional data may be made available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author. Because the unit of analysis was the household, no direct personal identifiers, including names, phone numbers, addresses, or WhatsApp contact information, will be shared. Shared data may include household survey variables, preventive practices, acceptability measures, and entomological indicators used in the analyses.