Testing and Comparing the Impacts of Mhealth-Based and Web-Based Education on Oral Cancer

Summary

Introduction: Oral cancer is a malignant neoplastic disease affecting the lip, oral cavity (mouth) and/or the oropharynx. Despite the intense and diverse public health interventions on oral cancer prevention, the global prevalence rates of oral cancer and its major risk factors are still very high. Hence, oral cancer is an issue of serious global health importance.

Aim: To test and compare the effectiveness, usability, uptake, and acceptability of an educational website and a mobile health application prototype on oral cancer in improving oral cancer knowledge among university students.

Methods: This study will adopt a randomised control trial design, and it will be conducted among 75 first-year bachelor's degree students from five universities across two continents: University of Rwanda (Rwanda, Africa), Usmanu Danfodiyo University (Nigeria, Africa), University of Peradeniya (Sri Lanka, Asia), University of Ibadan (Nigeria), and Saveetha University (India, Aisa). The study participants will be in three groups (Group 1, Group 2, and Group 3). The participants in Group 1 will be the control group (n = 25 participants; 5 participants from each university); that is the group that will not receive an educational intervention. However, those in Group 2 (n = 25 participants; 5 participants from each university) will receive a web-based educational intervention on oral cancer while those in Group 3 (n = 25 participants; 5 participants from each university) will receive an app-based educational intervention on oral cancer. Pretest survey and posttest survey will be done for all participants. The data collected will be statistically analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 software. Descriptive statistics will be done for all variables while inferential statistics (analysis of variance) will be done to test for associations between variables of interest.

Conclusion: The findings of this study will determine the effectiveness, usability, uptake, and acceptability of the tested digital intervention tools.

Conditions

• Oral Cancer
• Health Education, Community
• Digital Intervention
• MHealth Application
• MHealth Intervention

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

A web-based educational intervention on oral cancer

This intervention will involve administering education, via a website, on the meaning, risks, clinical features, prevention, treatment, and supports on oral cancer.

BEHAVIORAL

A mobile health app-based educational intervention on oral cancer

This intervention will involve administering education, via a mhealth application prototype, on the meaning, risks, clinical features, prevention, treatment, and supports on oral cancer.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Peradeniya

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Ibadan

  collaborator OTHER

• Usmanu Danfodiyo University

  collaborator OTHER

• Saveetha University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Rwanda

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kehinde Kanmodi, BDS, MPH · University of Rwanda

• Peace Uwambaye, BSC, MPH, PhD · University of Rwanda

• Afeez Salami, BDS · University of Ibadan

• Bello Almu, BSC, MSc, MPP · Usmanu Danfodiyo University

• Karthikeyan Ramalingam, BDS, MDS · Saveetha University

• Yovanthi Jayasinghe, BSc, PGD · University of Peradeniya

• Timothy Aladelusi, BDS, MSc · University of Ibadan

• Akinyele Adisa, BDS · University of Ibadan

• Jimoh Amzat, BSC, MA, MSc, PhD · Usmanu Danfodiyo University

• Ruwan Jayasinghe, BDS, MSc · University of Peradeniya

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

39 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-01-05

Primary Completion

2025-03-31

Completion

2025-04-30

Countries

• India
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Sri Lanka

Study Locations