BMC Public Health · 6 authors, 5 centres
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A randomized controlled trial evaluated a WhatsApp-based Facial-Aging web app with 27 PMT-grounded messages among Iranian primary school students. The intervention group showed significant improvements in using sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen in the last month, and in sunscreen reapplication after washing hands and face, both immediately post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up compared with controls.
This randomized controlled trial used a pretest–posttest repeated-measures design in Iranian primary school students to test a WhatsApp-delivered Sunshine and Skin Health Facial-Aging web app grounded in Protection Motivation Theory. The intervention comprised 27 health messages, eight educational files, and a skin cancer video. The primary outcome was the between-group change in sun protection behavior immediately post-intervention, with a secondary outcome at 3-month follow-up, analyzed in SPSS 22 at significance 0.05. Results showed no baseline differences; the intervention group significantly outperformed controls on use of sunglasses, hats, and sunscreen in the last month, and on sunscreen reapplication after washing hands and face, both immediately post-intervention and at 3-month follow-up (P = 0.001). Significant intervention, time, and interaction effects were observed for sunscreen use in the last month and reapplication after washing hands and face (P = 0.001), with the intervention group differing from T1 to T2 and T1 to T3 but not from T2 to T3.
