The effectiveness of mobile health intervention in colorectal cancer screening in Iran
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of mobile health (mHealth) intervention on colorectal cancer (CRC) screening.
Materials and Methods: This semiexperimental study collected data from individuals aged 50–70 years who had no history of CRC screening. Participants (n = 350) were randomly assigned to one control and five intervention groups. The data were collected by theory?based CRC screening questionnaire before and after the mHealth intervention.
Results: The results indicated a significant improvement in screening rates when utilizing mHealth interventions, which included text messages, videos, and telephone calls from health workers, showing a rate of 68.6% (P < 0.001) compared to 5.7% of individuals in the routine care group. Logistic regression analysis revealed that “perceived severity” and “perceived benefits” were significantly associated with increased screening uptake,
compared to the routine care group.
Conclusion: The current study indicates that mobile phone technology significantly impacts the outreach efforts for encouraging the covered population to participate in screening.