Older Adults, Oral Cancer, Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Among Patients
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a mobile app with educational videos and serious games is more effective than a video-only version of the app to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices about oral cancer and oral hygiene in older adults. The study also aims to evaluate the usability of the app and the impact of the intervention on performing oral self-examination. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. \- Does the version of the app with videos and serious games lead to greater improvement in oral cancer knowledge than the video-only version? 2. \- Are there differences in attitudes and self-examination practices between the two groups after using the app? 3. \- How frequently and consistently do participants use the app during the study period, and how much do they interact with the educational videos and serious games? 4. \- Are there differences in outcomes by sex or education level? Participants will: Be adults aged 60 and more receiving care at the Dental Clinic of the University of Chile Be randomly assigned to use one of two versions of the same app: * Group A: Access to educational videos and serious games * Group B: Access to educational videos only Use the app for 4 weeks Answer a questionnaire before starting, after 2 weeks, and after 4 weeks Perform an oral self-examination at week 4, which will be evaluated using a checklist This trial will help determine whether mobile tele-education tools, especially those that include interactive features like serious games, are effective and acceptable ways to improve oral health education in older adults.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMobile Oral Health Education App
This intervention consists of a mobile application designed to improve oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among older adults. The app includes educational videos about oral hygiene and oral cancer. In the experimental group, the app also incorporates interactive serious games to reinforce learning and promote oral self-examination. In the active comparator group, participants have access only to the educational videos within the same app. The intervention targets individuals aged 60 to 70 years and is evaluated over a 4-week period through questionnaires and observation of oral self-examination practices.
Sponsors
Universidad de La Frontera
University of Chile
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Adults aged 60 years and older. * Completed dental treatment at the Dental Clinic of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, during 2023 and 2024. * Own a smartphone with Android operating system. * Regular users of at least one social media platform (e.g., WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook).
Exclusion criteria
* Older adults with self-reported uncorrected visual or auditory sensory deficits resulting in total blindness or deafness. * Older adults with cognitive impairment, defined as a score of 13 or lower on the abbreviated Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (maximum score 19).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in knowledge, attitudes about oral cancer and oral hygiene, and performance of oral self-examination in older adults using a mobile educational application. | Baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks after the start of the intervention. | increasing participants' knowledge and attitudes regarding oral cancer and oral hygiene, as well as their ability to perform oral self-examination. Knowledge and attitudes are measured using a structured questionnaire administered at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks. Oral self-examination practices are evaluated at 4 weeks using a standardized checklist verifying the correct performance of five key steps. Comparisons are made between the group using videos and serious games and the group using videos only. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Usability of the mobile oral health education application | 4 weeks | Evaluates participant use and engagement with the mobile app by analyzing interaction logs recorded within the app over the 4-week intervention period. Usage data are compared between the group using videos plus serious games and the group using videos only. |
Countries
Chile
Outcome results
None listed