AI-Based Education and Menstrual Health Behaviors in Adolescents

NCT07598929 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 2025-09/43
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 120
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study is designed as a randomized controlled trial aiming to compare the effectiveness of different educational approaches in improving dysmenorrhea self-care and genital hygiene behaviors among adolescent girls. Participants will be allocated into three groups: an artificial intelligence-supported mobile education group, a face-to-face education group, and a brochure-based control group. The intervention process will be conducted using a pretest-posttest design, with assessments performed at baseline, 4 weeks after baseline, and 8 weeks after baseline. In the artificial intelligence-supported mobile education group, participants will receive individualized and interactive content, while the same content will be delivered directly by the researcher in the face-to-face education group, and written informational materials will be provided to the control group. Valid and reliable instruments assessing dysmenorrhea self-care behaviors and genital hygiene practices will be used for data collection. The findings are expected to provide evidence on the effectiveness of digital health interventions in adolescent health and contribute to the development of nursing practices and health education programs.

Conditions

Artificial Intelligence; Self-care; Dysmenorrhea; Genital Hygiene Behaviors; Mobile Health; Health Education; Nursing

Keywords

Adolescent girls; Artificial intelligence; Dysmenorrhea; Genital hygiene; Self-care behaviors; Health education; Nursing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Behavior Scale Total Score

  Dysmenorrhea self-care behaviors assessed using the Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Behavior Scale. The Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale was developed by Hsieh et al. (2004), and its Turkish adaptation was conducted by Sürücü and Ergün (2023). The scale is used to evaluate adolescent girls' self-care experiences related to dysmenorrhea. It consists of 40 items rated on a 6-point Likert-type scale (0 = strongly disagree, 1 = 20% agree, 2 = 40% agree, 3 = 60% agree, 4 = 80% agree, 5 = 100% agree). The scale includes six subdimensions: information seeking (items 1-4), expression of emotions (items 5-10), seeking help (items 11-14), control of external factors (items 15-21), coping practices (items 22-35), and self-control (items 36-40). The total score ranges from 0 to 200. Higher scores indicate better dysmenorrhea self-care behaviors. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficients for the overall scale and subdimensions ranged between 0.62 and 0.89.

  At baseline, 4 weeks after baseline, and 8 weeks after baseline

• Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale Total Score

  Genital hygiene behaviors assessed using the Genital Hygiene Behavior Scale. The Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale was developed by Karahan (2017), and the Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficient was reported as 0.80. The scale is a five-point Likert-type instrument (1 = Strongly disagree, 5 = Strongly agree) used to evaluate individuals' genital hygiene behaviors. The scale consists of 23 items and includes three subdimensions: "General Hygiene Habits" (items 1-12), "Menstrual Hygiene" (items 13-20), and "Awareness of Abnormal Findings" (items 21-23). Items 7, 14, 19, 20, and 23 are reverse scored. The total score ranges from 23 to 115. Higher scores indicate more positive and adequate genital hygiene behaviors.

  At baseline, 4 weeks after baseline, and 8 weeks after baseline

Study Arms (3)

AI-Supported Mobile Education Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: AI-Supported Mobile Education

Face-to-Face Education Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Face-to-Face Education

Brochure-Based Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Brochure-Based Education

Interventions

AI-Supported Mobile Education BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive artificial intelligence-supported personalized mobile education aimed at improving dysmenorrhea self-care and genital hygiene behaviors. Before the education, participants will complete a pretest including the Sociodemographic Characteristics and Menstruation Information Form, the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale, and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale. Educational content will be delivered in a personalized manner through a ChatGPT-based system. The initial education session will be administered at baseline, followed by a reinforcement session 2 weeks after baseline. The educational content will include menstruation knowledge, methods for coping with menstrual pain, healthy genital hygiene behaviors, help-seeking behaviors, and safe self-care practices. Participants will be re-evaluated using the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after baseline.

AI-Supported Mobile Education Group

Face-to-Face Education BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive face-to-face education delivered by an expert educator aimed at improving dysmenorrhea self-care and genital hygiene behaviors. Before the education, participants will complete a pretest including the Sociodemographic Characteristics and Menstruation Information Form, the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale, and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale. The educational content will be delivered face-to-face by the researcher using standardized educational materials. The initial education session will be administered at baseline, followed by a reinforcement session 2 weeks after baseline. The educational content will include menstruation knowledge, methods for coping with menstrual pain, healthy genital hygiene behaviors, help-seeking behaviors, and safe self-care practices. Participants will be re-evaluated using the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after baseline.

Face-to-Face Education Group

Brochure-Based Education BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive an informational brochure aimed at improving dysmenorrhea self-care and genital hygiene behaviors. During the first meeting, participants will complete a pretest including the Sociodemographic Characteristics and Menstruation Information Form, the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale, and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale. Afterwards, the same standardized informational brochure will be provided to all participants. The brochure content will include menstruation knowledge, methods for coping with menstrual pain, healthy genital hygiene behaviors, help-seeking behaviors, and safe self-care practices. Participants will be re-evaluated using the Genital Hygiene Behaviors Scale and the Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale at 4 weeks and 8 weeks after baseline.

Brochure-Based Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 17 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Being aged 14-17 years
• Having experienced menarche (having an active menstrual cycle)
• Having experienced dysmenorrhea at least once within the past six months
• Being a high school student and having the cognitive ability to understand the educational materials
• Having access to a smartphone and the internet (mandatory for the AI group; preferred for comparability across groups)
• Willingness to participate in the study voluntarily
• Provision of parental/legal guardian consent due to being under 18 years of age

You may not qualify if:

• Having a diagnosed chronic gynecological condition (e.g., endometriosis)
• Regular use of medications that may affect the menstrual cycle
• Having previously received structured menstrual health education (to minimize confounding effects)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cumhuriyet University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Hacı Mehmet Sabancı Anatolian High School

Merkez, Sivas, 58010, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (8)

• Vural, P. I., & Çiftçi, F. (2021). Menstrual Practice Needs Scale (MPNS): Reliability and validity of the Turkish version. Cyprus Journal of Medical Sciences, 6(4), 295-303. https://doi.org/10.5152/cjms.2021-166-232

  BACKGROUND

• Trepanier LCM, Lamoureux E, Bjornson SE, Mackie C, Alberts NM, Gagnon MM. Smartphone apps for menstrual pain and symptom management: A scoping review. Internet Interv. 2023 Jan 30;31:100605. doi: 10.1016/j.invent.2023.100605. eCollection 2023 Mar.

  PMID: 36761398 BACKGROUND

• Sürücü, E., & Ergün, A. (2023). The Turkish Validity and Reliability of The Adolescent Dysmenorrhea Self-Care Scale. Clinical and Experimental Health Sciences, 13(2), 299-307. https://doi.org/10.33808/clinexphealthsci.983007

  BACKGROUND

• Rahman MJ, Rahman MM, Sarker MHR, Ahmed A, Ali M, Islam MZ, Bubly JA, Hawlader DH, Shimpuku Y. The Impact of mHealth Education on Changing Menstrual Hygiene Management Knowledge and Practices Among School-Going Adolescent Girls in Rural Bangladesh: A Quasi-experimental Study Protocol. Cureus. 2024 Jan 12;16(1):e52157. doi: 10.7759/cureus.52157. eCollection 2024 Jan.

  PMID: 38344509 BACKGROUND

• Karahan, N. (2017). Genital Hijyen Davranışları Ölçeğinin geliştirilmesi: Geçerlik güvenirlik çalışması. Istanbul Medical Journal, 18(3),157-162.

  BACKGROUND

• Cunningham AC, Prentice C, Peven K, Wickham A, Bamford R, Radovic T, Klepchukova A, Fomina M, Cunningham K, Hill S, Hantsoo L, Payne J, Zhaunova L, Ponzo S. Efficacy of the Flo App in Improving Health Literacy, Menstrual and General Health, and Well-Being in Women: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2024 May 2;12:e54124. doi: 10.2196/54124.

  PMID: 38696773 BACKGROUND

• Balamurugan SS, Bendigeri N. Community-based study of reproductive tract infections among women of the reproductive age group in the urban health training centre area in hubli, karnataka. Indian J Community Med. 2012 Jan;37(1):34-8. doi: 10.4103/0970-0218.94020.

  PMID: 22529538 BACKGROUND

• Armour M, Parry K, Al-Dabbas MA, Curry C, Holmes K, MacMillan F, Ferfolja T, Smith CA. Self-care strategies and sources of knowledge on menstruation in 12,526 young women with dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2019 Jul 24;14(7):e0220103. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220103. eCollection 2019.

  PMID: 31339951 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Dysmenorrhea; Health Education

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Menstruation Disturbances; Pathologic Processes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Pelvic Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Adherence Interventions; Medication Adherence; Patient Compliance; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Treatment Adherence and Compliance; Health Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: AI-Supported Mobile Education Group Face-to-Face Education Group Brochure-Based Control Group

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2026
• First Posted: May 20, 2026
• Study Start: April 20, 2026
• Primary Completion: May 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 19, 2026
• Last Updated: May 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)