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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| Military Medical Academy, Bulgaria | OTHER |
| Cairo University | OTHER |
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The goal of this study is to learn if educational videos sent through WhatsApp can improve dental health knowledge, healthy habits, and attitudes in primary school children aged 10 to 12 years in Cairo, Egypt.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Researchers will compare children in Grade 5 who receive 6 short dental health videos through WhatsApp (one video per week for 6 weeks) to children in Grade 6 who continue their normal school activities to see if the videos lead to better knowledge, healthy habits, and more positive attitudes about dental health.
Participants will:
STUDY DESIGN AND RATIONALE
This is a quasi-experimental pre-post study with a non-equivalent control group. The study compares WhatsApp-delivered video-based educational intervention (intervention group) to standard school activities (control group) among primary school children aged 10-12 years in Cairo, Egypt.
Quasi-experimental design was chosen because randomization at the individual level was not feasible in the school setting. To minimize contamination between groups, children were assigned by grade level: all Grade 5 students form the intervention group, and all Grade 6 students form the control group. This approach reduces daily interaction between groups while maintaining comparable baseline characteristics.
The intervention is based on social cognitive theory, which emphasizes observational learning, self-efficacy, and behavioral modeling. Videos were selected to demonstrate proper techniques, provide positive role models, and build confidence in children's ability to practice good oral health behaviors.
INTERVENTION DESCRIPTION
Intervention Group (Grade 5, n=75):
Children will receive 6 educational videos about dental health via a closed WhatsApp group over 6 weeks (one video per week, posted every Monday at 4:00 PM).
Video Content and Delivery Schedule:
Week 1 - "Why Do We Need Teeth?" (3:58 minutes) Topics: Dental anatomy and tooth functions (chewing, speaking, smiling), consequences of tooth loss, importance of caring for baby teeth, introduction to tooth decay. Format: Animated educational video with Arabic voiceover.
Week 2 - "The Right Way to Brush Our Teeth" (4:17 minutes) Topics: Step-by-step brushing technique (circular motion), brushing all surfaces (outer, inner, chewing), tongue brushing, frequency (twice daily), duration (2 minutes), replacing toothbrush every 3 months. Format: Animated demonstration with catchy song and visual instructions.
Week 3 - "Foods That Harm Our Teeth" (3-4 minutes) Topics: How sugary foods and drinks feed bacteria to produce acid causing cavities, sticky foods, frequent snacking, identifying unhealthy foods (candy, soda, cookies), limiting sugar intake. Format: Interactive animated video with visual categorization.
Week 4 - "Foods Good for Our Teeth" (3-4 minutes) Topics: Calcium-rich foods (milk, cheese, yogurt) strengthen teeth, crunchy fruits and vegetables naturally clean teeth, water rinses the mouth, importance of balanced diet for oral health. Format: Animated educational video.
Week 5 - "Why Do We Go to the Dentist?" (2-4 minutes) Topics: What happens during a dental checkup (examination, cleaning), professional cleaning removes plaque, importance of preventive care, recommended visit frequency (every 6 months), making dental visits fun instead of scary. Format: Animated story or live-action video showing positive dental visit experience.
Week 6 - "Fun Tips for Healthy Teeth" (2-3 minutes) Topics: Review of key messages, creative ways to make brushing fun (brushing to a song for 2 minutes, family brushing time, friendly competitions), establishing morning and evening routines, celebrating healthy smiles, positive reinforcement and encouragement. Format: Musical video with children singing and performing.
All videos were selected based on: high-quality production (clear audio/video), evidence-based content (aligned with WHO and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines), age-appropriateness (10-12 years), cultural relevance (Arabic language, Egyptian context), engaging format (animation, demonstration, music), appropriate length (2-5 minutes), positive tone (encouraging, not fear-based), no commercial content, educational value, and positive viewer feedback.
WhatsApp Group Management:
A closed WhatsApp group named "Healthy Teeth Friends" will include 75 intervention group children and approximately 45 parents (60%) who optionally choose to join, with the researcher as group administrator.
Each weekly post includes: friendly greeting in Arabic, 2-3 sentence introduction about the week's topic, YouTube video link, encouraging message, and relevant emoji. Mid-week reminders will be sent to children who have not viewed the video within 48 hours. The researcher will monitor the group daily, respond to questions within 24 hours, and document intervention fidelity including date/time of posting, number of views within 48 hours, number of questions and reactions, and responses provided.
Control Group (Grade 6, n=75):
Children will continue their usual school and home activities without receiving study-related educational materials during the 8-week study period. They will be informed that a second assessment will occur in May. After completing post-intervention assessments, the control group will be invited to a separate WhatsApp group to receive all 6 educational videos for ethical reciprocity.
OUTCOME MEASURES
Primary Outcome:
Dental Health Knowledge
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intervention Group | Experimental | Grade 5 students (n=75) who receive six educational videos about dental health delivered via WhatsApp over 6 weeks (one video per week, posted every Monday at 4:00 PM). Videos are 2-5 minutes long and cover: Week 1 - Why teeth are important, Week 2 - Proper brushing technique, Week 3 - Foods that harm teeth, Week 4 - Foods good for teeth, Week 5 - Importance of dental visits, Week 6 - Fun tips for healthy smiles. All videos are in Arabic with colorful animations appropriate for children aged 10-12 years. Children are assessed at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8). |
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| Control Group | No Intervention | Grade 6 students (n=75) who continue their usual school curriculum and home activities without receiving study-related educational materials during the 8-week study period. Children are assessed at baseline (Week 0) and at Week 8 using the same questionnaires as the intervention group. After completing post-intervention assessments, this group will be invited to join a separate WhatsApp group to receive all six educational videos for ethical reciprocity. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp-Based Dental Health Education for Children | Behavioral | Six educational videos about dental health delivered via a closed WhatsApp group over 6 weeks (one video per week, posted every Monday at 4:00 PM). Each video is 2-5 minutes long, features Arabic voiceover with colorful animations, and is age-appropriate for children aged 10-12 years. Video topics: Week 1 - Importance of teeth (anatomy, functions, consequences of tooth loss), Week 2 - Proper brushing technique (circular motion, all surfaces, 2-minute duration, twice daily), Week 3 - Foods that harm teeth (sugary foods, sticky snacks, frequent eating), Week 4 - Foods good for teeth (calcium-rich foods, crunchy vegetables, water), Week 5 - Importance of dental visits (professional cleaning, preventive care, reducing fear), Week 6 - Fun tips for healthy smiles (review, establishing routines, positive reinforcement). All videos selected based on evidence-based content aligned with WHO and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry guidelines. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Dental Health Knowledge Score | Change in dental health knowledge from baseline to Week 8, measured using a validated 10-item questionnaire. Each correct answer scores 1 point (total score range 0-10, with higher scores indicating better knowledge). Questions assess knowledge about tooth anatomy and functions, causes of tooth decay, proper brushing technique, recommended brushing frequency and duration, beneficial and harmful foods for teeth, and importance of regular dental visits. Good knowledge is defined as a score of 8 or higher out of 10. The primary outcome is the mean change in knowledge score between baseline and Week 8. | Baseline (Week 0) and 8 weeks after baseline |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Dental Health Practices Score | Change in oral health practices from baseline to Week 8, measured using a validated 9-item questionnaire (total score range 0-18, with higher scores indicating better practices). Items assess toothbrushing frequency (twice daily), duration (2 minutes), technique (all tooth surfaces), fluoride toothpaste use, consumption of sugary foods and drinks, eating between meals, eating sweets before bed, rinsing mouth after meals, and eating vegetables and fruits. Each item scores 0-2 points based on adherence to recommended practices. Good practices are defined as a score of 13 or higher out of 18. The outcome is the mean change in practices score between baseline and Week 8. |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rana M Farghal, B.D.S. | Contact | 01092823556 | ranafargal@ymail.com | |
| Passant Nagi, PhD | Contact | 01120655633 | Passant.nagi@dentistry.cu.edu.eg |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Passant Nagi, PHD | Cairo University, Military Medical Academy | Study Director |
| Rana M FARGHAL, B.D.S. | Military Medical Academy, Bulgaria | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount International School, New Administrative Capital | Cairo | Cairo Governorate | Egypt |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29930371 | Background | Soldani F, Wu J. School based oral health education. Evid Based Dent. 2018 Jun;19(2):36-37. doi: 10.1038/sj.ebd.6401298. | |
| 34343218 | Result | Towle-Miller LM, Miecznikowski JC, Zhang F, Tritchler DL. SuMO-Fil: Supervised multi-omic filtering prior to performing network analysis. PLoS One. 2021 Aug 3;16(8):e0255579. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255579. eCollection 2021. |
| Label | URL |
|---|---|
| WHO oral health guidelines and school health programs | View source |
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Individual participant data will not be shared to protect the privacy of child participants and comply with ethical approval conditions. Summary results will be publicly available through the study's published thesis, peer-reviewed journal articles, and aggregate results posted on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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This is a two-arm parallel group quasi-experimental study. Participants are assigned to one of two groups based on grade level at enrollment and remain in their assigned group throughout the 8-week study period. The intervention group (Grade 5 students, n=75) receives six educational videos about dental health delivered via WhatsApp over 6 weeks (one video per week). The control group (Grade 6 students, n=75) continues usual school and home activities without receiving study-related educational materials during the study period. Both groups are assessed at baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8) using identical questionnaires measuring dental health knowledge, practices, and attitudes. This parallel design was chosen to minimize contamination between groups by utilizing different grade levels that have limited daily interaction.
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| Baseline (Week 0) and 8 weeks after baseline |
| 23728691 | Result | Cooper AM, O'Malley LA, Elison SN, Armstrong R, Burnside G, Adair P, Dugdill L, Pine C. Primary school-based behavioural interventions for preventing caries. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013 May 31;2013(5):CD009378. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009378.pub2. |
| Result | Social Media Interventions Chen Y, Smith M, Johnson K. Social media interventions for health promotion among adolescents and young adults: A meta-analysis. Digital Health. 2025;11:20552076251234568. |
| Result | Type: Other Full Citation: Hassan NM, Gaber A, El-Sayed MH. Oral health status, knowledge, and behaviors among school children in Cairo, Egypt, and their impact on quality of life. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry. 2019;11:369-380. |
| Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population - School health initiatives | View source |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D003731 | Dental Caries |
| D001519 | Behavior |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D017001 | Tooth Demineralization |
| D014076 | Tooth Diseases |
| D009057 | Stomatognathic Diseases |
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