Effect of Health Education via Mobile Application in Promoting Quality of Life Among Asthmatic Schoolchildren in Urban Malaysia During the COVID-19 Era: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Bronchial asthma among children is a common chronic disease which may have impact on quality of life. Health education is one of the strategy to improve knowledge and quality of life.OBJECTIVE: The study aims to assess the effect of health education via mobile application (app) in promoting quality of life among schoolchildren with asthma in urban Malaysia during the COVID-19 era. METHODS: A quasi-experimental, pre- and post-intervention design was used in this study involving a total of 214 students, randomly assigned into two groups (intervention group and control group). The control group received face-to-face health education while the experimental group received health education via a mobile application.RESULTS: The findings showed that the total score of quality of life (QoL) has improved from a mean total score at pre-intervention (5.31±1.27) to post-intervention (5.66±1.28) for the control group, compared with the experimental group with a mean total score of QoL at pre-intervention (5.01±1.36) and post-intervention (5.85±1.29). A comparison between the experimental and control groups using an independent t-test showed statistically significant differences in their mean QoL scores. The effect of health education via mobile application showed a statistically significant improvement in the mean QoL score from pre- to post-intervention [F (1,288) = 57.46, p = <0.01].CONCLUSION: The use of mobile technology in health education improved QoL as compared to the traditional methods of face-to-face lecture and/or handbooks among schoolchildren with asthma. Thus, educational modules using mobile applications do improve QoL.

The Effects of Health Education on Acute Intermittent Porphyria Attacks : A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…In recent years, it has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension [2,3]. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, online health education offers convenience, a wealth of resources, interactivity, and wide dissemination, thus improving the quality and e ciency of education and promoting public health [4,5]. As a particularly vulnerable group, patients with rare diseases are often more susceptible to the impact of viruses than the general population.…”