The effectiveness of mobile health intervention in colorectal cancer screening in Iran

Zivar Rostami, Sareh Shakerian

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.


Keywords


Colorectal cancer, effectiveness, mobile phone technology, screening

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