The effect of a Snapchat based intervention on oral health knowledge among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia

ISRCTN ISRCTN13915540
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN13915540
Secondary identifying numbers HAPO-02-K-012-2021-11-810
Submission date
08/11/2021
Registration date
10/11/2021
Last edited
21/12/2023
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Other
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Social media is defined as a collection of applications that use the internet to create technical and ideological foundations that permit generating and sharing contents. Public and patients tend to seek different health information from social media. However, there is spreading of fake health information on social media was cited as a major concern in literature. There is a growing interest in the use of social media and mobile health applications to improve pregnants’ well-being. One of the most famous social media platforms is Snapchat. Snapchat is usually used to make ‘selfies’ photo and videos between friend and family in a relaxed manner. However, in terms of dental health, many pregnant women tend to avoid attending dental clinics because they believe they would be harmed. For this reason, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of social media (snapchat) health promotional intervention on oral health pregnancy awareness among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia.

Who can participate?
Pregnant women living in Saudi Arabia who have access to Snapchat and Whatsapp

What does the study involve?
Participants will be randomly allocated to receive advice on oral health during pregnancy either via a series of Snapchat stories or via a written flyer on Whatsapp.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Expected benefits: Helping pregnant women to get useful information about oral and dental treatment and setting. As an incentive, the participants will also be entered into six separate random prize drawings for 50 Saudi Riyal (USD 13.33) in the form of local bookstore gift cards given only to participants who completed all the questionnaires.
Expected risks: Not applicable.

Where is the study run from?
Umm Al-Qura University (Saudi Arabia)

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
November 2021 to November 2022

Who is funding the study?
Investigator initiated and funded

Who is the main contact?
Dr Khalid Aboalshamat, dr.khalid.sh@hotmail.com

Contact information

Dr Khalid Aboalshamat
Scientific

Dental Public Health Division
Preventative Dentistry Department
College of Dentistry
Umm Al-Qura University
Makkah
24361-2828
Saudi Arabia

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0001-5957-8681
Phone +966 543536468
Email ktaboalshamat@uqu.edu.sa

Study information

Study designParallel-group single-blind randomized controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Internet/virtual
Study typeOther
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet.
Scientific titleThe effect of a social media (Snapchat) intervention on the awareness of pregnancy oral health among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia: randomized controlled trial
Study objectivesThere is a relationship between oral health promotion intervention by using Snapchat and knowledge of pregnant women
Ethics approval(s)Approved, 03/11/2021, Umm Al-Qura University Institutional Review Board (Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, 24352, Saudi Arabia; +966 (0)125270000; irb.uqudent@uqu.edu.sa), ref: HAPO-02-K-012-2021-11-810.
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedKnowledge about oral health during pregnancy
InterventionIntervention group:
Participants in the Snapchat group (SG) will receive information regarding oral health during pregnancy using the Snapchat mobile application. The oral health information was retrieved from previous studies, The content was validated by oral pathology and oral medicine consultants. The information includes general information about dental treatment among pregnant women, the most recommended time for dental treatment and emergencies, dental setting position, the recommendation for elective dental treatment, dental appointment, Root Canal Treatment (RCT) safety issues for pregnant women, radiographic precautions, local anesthesia, antibiotic usage, analgesics, pregnancy gingivitis and how to reduce periodontal problems. The intervention will be delivered throughout two weeks; each week will have two Snapchat stories (the story is a series of short videos, each 10 seconds, as permitted by the Snapchat application). Each story will be about 5 to 10 minutes. Participants can send their questions regarding the given material and a short recap of the questions will be in the following story.
The stories will be presented as a diary of one of the research team members as most of the stories in Snapchat. The research team will perform roles within the clinic of the dental teaching hospital in Umm Al-Qura University, as dental chair setting, precaution during taking radiographs, showing the materials which are likely to be used during the dental treatment, and demonstration of dental flossing and toothbrushing. Through intervention days the participants will receive the contents spontaneously.

Control group:
The control group (CG) will receive the same information in a written flyer sent via WhatsApp.

Randomization:
The participants will be randomly assigned to either the SG or the CG by the research team. A simple randomization process will be used, using previously shuffled sealed envelopes with an equal allocation ratio placed in a bowl. Each participant will randomly choose an envelope, so that will give them an equal chance of being placed in one of the two groups. The sealed envelope will be opaque and sequentially numbered to ensure allocation concealment.
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measureQuestionnaires, self-reported, are administered at T1 (before the intervention), T2 (immediately after the intervention), and T3 (after the intervention with one month):
1. Demographic information
2. Use of social media
3. Oral health knowledge
4. Experiences and perceptions of the social media used
Secondary outcome measuresThere are no secondary outcome measures
Overall study start date03/11/2021
Completion date15/11/2022

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Healthy volunteer
Age groupAdult
SexFemale
Target number of participants90
Total final enrolment68
Key inclusion criteria1. Arabic speakers
2. Pregnant women in Saudi Arabia
3. Able to use Snapchat and WhatsApp social media platforms
Key exclusion criteriaDid not agree to sign the consent form
Date of first enrolment20/11/2021
Date of final enrolment01/03/2022

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Saudi Arabia

Study participating centre

Umm Al-Qura University, Dental hospital
Taif Road
Makkah
21955
Saudi Arabia

Sponsor information

Umm al-Qura University
University/education

Taif Road
Mecca
Makkah
21955
Saudi Arabia

Phone +966 12 527 0000
Email dentistry@uqu.edu.sa
Website https://uqu.edu.sa
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/01xjqrm90

Funders

Funder type

Other

investigator initiated and funded

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date10/12/2022
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Dr. Khalid Aboalshamat, Umm Al-Qura University, Faculty of Dentistry, Saudi Arabia.
SPSS file (unidentified)
The data will be available upon request for 2 years.
Data can be accessed by the journal to which we will submit our article, any Saudi Governmental authority, researchers after careful consideration of their scientific intention to use.
All data are anonymous with no identification

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol file 10/11/2021 No No
Dataset 26/08/2022 No No
Dataset 16/02/2023 21/12/2023 No No
Protocol (other) 16/02/2023 21/12/2023 No No
Results article 16/02/2023 21/12/2023 Yes No

Additional files

40642 Protocol.pdf
ISRCTN13915540_Raw data file.pdf

Editorial Notes

21/12/2023: Publication reference, dataset and protocol added.
26/08/2022: A dataset was uploaded as an additional file.
01/03/2022: The following changes have been made:
1. The recruitment end date has been changed from 20/02/2022 to 01/03/2022.
2. The total final enrolment number has been added.
02/02/2022: The recruitment end date has been changed from 20/01/2022 to 20/02/2022.
10/11/2021: Trial's existence confirmed by Umm Al-Qura University Institutional Review Board