Advancing Female University Students' Health Through Mobile Technology in Ethiopia

NCT07746791 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 2 other identifiers: School of Public health, BDUBDU/20/2025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 880
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Female university students in Ethiopia experience a high burden of sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, and psychosocial problems, exacerbated by limited access to essential health services and support. Mobile technology provides an opportunity to deliver accessible, evidence-based health interventions. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile technology-based intervention in improving SRH, nutrition, and psychosocial well-being among female university students in Ethiopia. Methods: A concurrent mixed-methods study will be conducted among first-year female university students. Baseline quantitative and qualitative assessments will identify needs, barriers, and facilitators. A randomized controlled trial will evaluate a comprehensive mobile health education intervention delivered monthly. Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis. Expected Outcomes: Improved sexual and reproductive health, dietary practices, and psychosocial well-being among female university students. Duration and Budget: The project will be implemented over the proposed study period with a total budget of 1,208,564 Ethiopian birr.

Conditions

Dietary Intake; Psychosocial Wellbeing; Sexual and Reproductive Health

Keywords

Dietary intake; SRH; Ethiopia; Psychosocial wellbeing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Dietary intake

  Dietary intake will be the primary outcome and will be measured using food frequency questionnaire.

  Baseline assessment will be done from August 1-September 30, 2026 (8 weeks) and endline assessment will be done from April to May 2028 (8 weeks).

• Sexual and reproductive health

  Sexual and reproductive health will be the primary outcomes and will be assessed using questionnaires.

  Baseline assessment will be done from August 1-September 30, 2026 (8 weeks) and endline assessment will be done from April to May2028 (8 weeks) .

• Psychosocial well-being

  Psychosocial well-being will be the primary outcomes of this studyand will be assessed using questionnaires.

  Baseline assessment will be done from August 1-September 30, 2026 (8 weeks) and endline assessment will be done from April to May2028(8 weeks) .

Study Arms (2)

Intervention arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Intervention group

Behavioral: Behavioural change intervention will be provided through mobile application

Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Control group

Behavioral: Routine care

Interventions

Behavioural change intervention will be provided through mobile application BEHAVIORAL

Behavioural change intervention will be provided through mobile application to improve sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, psychosocial, and appropriate digital use.The intervention packages or contents of the intervention will be developed based on the survey finding. Content of the intervention will include appropriate digital use, the basics of SRH, adolescent nutrition, psychosocial wellbeing, risk factors, and prevention measures. Nutrition messages will include nutrient requirements, the benefits of a healthy diet, the dietary habits of adolescents, the adverse consequences of junk food consumption, short- and long-term consequences of taking unhealthy diet. Possible solutions to improve dietary intake. A simple message about detailed description of the contents of the intervention will be delivered monthly through mobile technology for three consecutive years. Feedback will be collected from students after delivery of message to make sure whether students read or not.

Also known as: Group one

Intervention arm

Routine care BEHAVIORAL

Students in the control group will receive message provided through gender office.

Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Gender Eligibility Details: Female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Regular undergraduate female university student will be included in the study.
• First year female students will be included in the study.

You may not qualify if:

• Students who have no mobile phone will be excluded from the study.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Bahir Dar University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bahir Dar University

Bahir Dar, Amhara, 79, Ethiopia

Location

Related Publications (7)

• Admassu TW, Wolde YT, Kaba M. Ethiopia has a long way to go meeting adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health needs. Reprod Health. 2022 Jun 13;19(Suppl 1):130. doi: 10.1186/s12978-022-01445-3.

  PMID: 35698082 RESULT

• Kassa GM, Degu G, Yitayew M, Misganaw W, Muche M, Demelash T, Mesele M, Ayehu M. Risky Sexual Behaviors and Associated Factors among Jiga High School and Preparatory School Students, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Int Sch Res Notices. 2016 Jun 15;2016:4315729. doi: 10.1155/2016/4315729. eCollection 2016.

  PMID: 27403456 RESULT

• Ejtahed HS, Mardi P, Hejrani B, Mahdavi FS, Ghoreshi B, Gohari K, Heidari-Beni M, Qorbani M. Association between junk food consumption and mental health problems in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry. 2024 Jun 12;24(1):438. doi: 10.1186/s12888-024-05889-8.

  PMID: 38867156 RESULT

• Hilger J, Loerbroks A, Diehl K. Eating behaviour of university students in Germany: Dietary intake, barriers to healthy eating and changes in eating behaviour since the time of matriculation. Appetite. 2017 Feb 1;109:100-107. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.11.016. Epub 2016 Nov 15.

  PMID: 27864073 RESULT

• Habte A, Dessu S. The uptake of key elements of sexual and reproductive health services and its predictors among rural adolescents in Southern Ethiopia, 2020: application of a Poisson regression analysis. Reprod Health. 2023 Jan 12;20(1):15. doi: 10.1186/s12978-023-01562-7.

  PMID: 36635708 RESULT

• Abrha K, Worku A, Lerebo W, Berhane Y. Sexting and high sexual risk-taking behaviours among school youth in northern Ethiopia: estimating using prevalence ratio. BMJ Sex Reprod Health. 2019 Apr 27:bmjsrh-2018-200085. doi: 10.1136/bmjsrh-2018-200085. Online ahead of print.

  PMID: 31030185 RESULT

• Muntean N, Kereta W, Mitchell KR. Addressing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Young People in Ethiopia: An Analysis of the Current Situation. Afr J Reprod Health. 2015 Sep;19(3):87-99.

  PMID: 26897917 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Coitus

Interventions

One-Carbon Group Transferases

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sexual Behavior; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Transferases; Enzymes; Enzymes and Coenzymes

Central Study Contacts

Yeshalem M Demilew, PhD

CONTACT

+251954342535; yeshalem_mulugeta@yahoo.com

Elenie A Mengesha, PhD

CONTACT

+251918772775

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate professor

Model Details: A two-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled trial will be conducted to assess the effect of mobile technology interventions on enhancing sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, and psychosocial Well-being among Female University Students in Ethiopia.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 28, 2026
• First Posted: August 5, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2028
• Last Updated: August 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

ET (1)