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Smartphone-based psychoeducation interventions may be a low-cost, user-friendly alternative to resource-consuming, face-to-face antenatal classes to educate expectant mothers. This study aimed to empirically examine whether such an intervention would lead to reduced postnatal depression, anxiety, or stress and result in a better health-related quality of life. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in Hong Kong. All first-time expectant mothers with less than 24 weeks of gestation remaining and attending the antenatal clinic at a public hospital were included. Participants were assigned to the intervention group or the control group by drawing lots. The lots, presented in sealed opaque envelopes, were randomly designated as \"intervention\" or \"control\" by stratified randomization. The intervention, a psychoeducational mobile app, was provided in addition to the treatment as usual (TAU) services from the hospital. Follow up with participants took place at 4 weeks postpartum. The primary outcome was the difference in the levels of antenatal and postnatal depression, assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The intention-to-treat approach was employed in the analyses. The final sample was 660 expectant mothers (n =330 and n =330). The mean difference in EPDS scores between the two groups was -0.65 (95% CI -1.29 to 0.00; P=.049) after adjusting for confounding factors. Associations were found between participation in the intervention and reduced depression, and attendance in TAU classes and increased stress levels. The smartphone-based intervention plus TAU services was effective in reducing postnatal depression at 4 weeks postpartum compared with a control condition of TAU only, making this a cost-effective alternative to TAU education for expectant mothers. Limitations of the study included the short postpartum period after which the follow-up assessment was conducted and the inclusion of first-time mothers rather than all mothers. HKU Clinical Trials Registry HKUCTR-2024; http://www.hkuctr.com/Study/Show/ 34f62a2f6d594273a290491827206384.

Background Some women avoid sexual intercourse during pregnancy due to the physiological changes they undergo during this period as well as their fear of causing harm to the fetus and to themselves, which can lead to problems in sexual health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a sexual health education package on the dimensions of sexual health in pregnant women. Methods This randomized, longitudinal, clinical trial was carried out in 2018–2019 on 154 pregnant women in early to late pregnancy who presented to comprehensive health centers in Rasht, Iran, and were divided into three groups: Group A or the training group (50 participants), Group B or the self-training group (53 participants), and Group C or the control group (51 participants). The study tools included the Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory (PSRI), the Sexual Quality of Life-Female (SQOL-F) and the Sexual Violence Questionnaire. The dimensions of sexual health were examined before beginning each intervention in each trimester of pregnancy and then at the end of pregnancy using these questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed using statistical tests, namely the Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, Cochrane’s test, and the repeated measures ANOVA at a significance level of P  < 0.05. Results There was no statistically significant difference in the mean total scores of SQOL-F and PSRI in the three groups at baseline. As for the intergroup results, there was a statistically significant difference in the mean score of SQOL-F and PSRI at the end of pregnancy. The mean scores of PSRI and SQOL-F in the training group (Group A) increased from the beginning to the end of pregnancy compared to the control and self-training groups. As for the intergroup comparisons, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean total scores of sexual violence among the pregnant women in the different groups in the third trimester of pregnancy and at the end of the third trimester. Although sexual violence was not statistically significant, the number of sexually-violated women in the training group decreased during the training period compared to the self-training and control groups. Conclusion The results obtained in the intervention group compared to the control group revealed the effectiveness of the sexual health education package in terms of improvement in the dimensions of sexual health. According to the results, in order to maintain and promote the sexual health of pregnant women, health care providers are recommended to offer sexual health training during pregnancy along with other health care services. Trial registration IRCT20190427043398N1 ; the trial was registered on June 2, 2019. (retrospective registration).

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a robot‐assisted digital education method in reducing anxiety and promoting healthy behaviors among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Design: A randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the impact of robot‐assisted health education with conventional video‐based education. Participants: A total of 66 pregnant women from a single hospital were randomly assigned to either the experimental group ( n = 32) or the control group ( n = 34). Outcomes: The primary outcome was the reduction of anxiety levels. Secondary outcomes included health education satisfaction, health literacy, and acceptance of technology. Results: The results indicated that the robot‐assisted digital education method significantly reduced anxiety levels among pregnant women. Additionally, participants in the experimental group reported higher satisfaction with health education, improved health literacy, and greater acceptance of technology compared to the control group. Conclusion: This study highlights the potential benefits of integrating robotic technology into health education for pregnant women. In the global information age, the findings provide valuable insights for educators and researchers in medical institutions aiming to enhance long‐term health education through innovative digital tools. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06999421

Purpose During adolescence, adolescents are more susceptible to internalizing and externalizing problems influencing quality of life (QoL). The purpose of the study is to verify the effectiveness of a peer education on improving QoL of adolescents. Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted involving 1564 subjects who were divided into an intervention group ( n  = 714) and a control group ( n  = 850). The intervention group received 1-year peer education. Their QoL and basic information were assessed using a Adolescent Quality of Life Scale and a self-designed basic situation questionnaire. Results After the intervention, significant increases were found in the psychological, and social, pubertal dimensions, and in total QoL ( P  < 0.05) in the intervention group relative to the control group. Significant decrease was found in physical dimension ( P  < 0.05), but the change in the intervention group (0.74 decrease) was much less than that in the control group (1.94 decrease). The improvements of physical ( B  = 1.215, SE = 0.305, P  < 0.001), psychological ( B  = 1.496, SE = 0.598, P  = 0.013), pubertal ( B  = 0.828, SE = 0.244, P  = 0.001), and total ( B  = 3.455, SE = 1.429, P  = 0.016) QoL in the intervention group were higher than in the control group in mixed model. Conclusions The peer education based on adolescent health education is effective in improving the physical, psychological, pubertal, and total QoL of adolescents, but no social QoL.

Aim. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of 3D animation combined with teach-back health education on the recovery of low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) patients. Background. LARS is the most common problem after anus-preserving surgery in rectal cancer. Pelvic floor muscle training can promote the recovery of recto-anal function. Methods. Ninety-nine patients with LARS were randomly divided into control group, experiment group I, and experiment group II. The control group was guided by one-to-one verbal pelvic floor muscle training. The experiment group I was given self-made 3D animation along with one-to-one pelvic floor muscle guidance. The 3D animation and teach-back methods were used for training and guidance in the experiment group II. The outcome measures were scores of low anterior resection syndrome scale items, as well as the completion of training content. Results. The degree of completion of training content in the experiment group II was higher than that of the control group and experiment group I. The total score of LARSS in the experiment group II was significantly lower than in the control group and experiment group I. In particular, scores of loose stool incontinence, defecation frequency level, tenesmus, and defecation urgency in experiment group II were better than those in the control group. Conclusion. 3D animation combined with teach-back health education improved the mastery of pelvic floor muscle training theory and practice in LARS patients, and effectively reduced the symptoms. Implications for Nursing Management. This intervention promoted the recovery of pelvic floor muscle function in LARS patients and can be regarded as an effective measure to improve quality of life and provide better clinical care for patients.

With economic growth in Asia, cancer has become increasingly prominent as a major health problem. However, discrepancies in infrastructure, economics, and development exist within and between Asian countries. We assess means of primary and secondary prevention for cervical, breast, colorectal, and hepatocellular cancer, and offer recommendations according to resource levels. Primary prevention by health education, lifestyle modification, and avoidance of risk factors should be made available at all resource levels. When resources allow, human papillomavirus and hepatitis B vaccinations should be given to reduce the risk of cervical and hepatocellular cancer, and genetic testing should be offered to detect increased susceptibility to colorectal and breast cancer. Secondary prevention by effective yet affordable screening for precancerous lesions or by early detection of cancer should be offered, followed by appropriate treatment.

Background Home delivery of antiretroviral therapy (ART) by community health workers (CHWs) may improve ART retention by reducing the time burden and out-of-pocket expenditures to regularly attend an ART clinic. In addition, ART home delivery may shorten waiting times and improve quality of care for those in facility-based care by decongesting ART clinics. This trial aims to determine whether ART home delivery for patients who are clinically stable on ART combined with facility-based care for those who are not stable on ART is non-inferior to the standard of care (facility-based care for all ART patients) in achieving and maintaining virological suppression. Methods This is a non-inferiority cluster-randomized trial set in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A cluster is one of 48 healthcare facilities with its surrounding catchment area. 24 clusters were randomized to ART home delivery and 24 to the standard of care. The intervention consists of home visits by CHWs to provide counseling and deliver ART to patients who are stable on ART, while the control is the standard of care (facility-based ART and CHW home visits without ART home delivery). In addition, half of the healthcare facilities in each study arm were randomized to standard counseling during home visits (covering family planning, prevention of HIV transmission, and ART adherence), and half to standard plus nutrition counseling (covering food production and dietary advice). The non-inferiority design applies to the endpoints of the ART home delivery trial; the primary endpoint is the proportion of ART patients at a healthcare facility who are virally suppressed at the end of the study period. The margin of non-inferiority for this primary endpoint was set at nine percentage points. Discussion As the number of ART patients in sub-Saharan Africa is expected to rise, this trial provides causal evidence on the effectiveness of a home-based care model that could decongest ART clinics and reduce patients’ healthcare expenditures. More broadly, this trial will inform the increasing policy interest in task-shifting of chronic disease care from facility- to community-based healthcare workers. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02711293 . Registration date: 16 March 2016.

IntroductionUncontrolled hypertension is the leading risk factor for mortality globally, including low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, pathways for seeking hypertension care and patients’ experience with the utilisation of health services for hypertension in LMICs are not well understood.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore patients’ perspectives on different dimensions of accessibility and availability of healthcare for the management of uncontrolled hypertension in Sri Lanka.SettingPrimary care in rural areas in Sri Lanka.Participants20 patients with hypertension were purposively sampled from an ongoing study of Control of Blood Pressure and Risk Attenuation in rural Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.MethodWe conducted in-depth interviews with patients. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed into local language (Sinhala) and translated to English. Thematic analysis was used and patient pathways on their experiences accessing care from government and private clinics are mapped out.ResultsOverall, most patients alluded to the fact that their hypertension was diagnosed accidentally in an unrelated visit to a healthcare provider and revealed lack of adherence and consuming alternatives as barriers to control hypertension. Referring to the theme ‘Accessibility and availability of hypertension care’, patients complained of distance to the hospitals, long waiting time and shortage of medicine supplies at government clinics as the main barriers to accessing health services. They often resorted to private physicians and paid out of pocket when they experienced acute symptoms attributable to hypertension. Considering the theme ‘Approachability and ability to perceive’, the majority of patients mentioned increasing public awareness, training healthcare professionals for effective communication as areas of improvement. Under the theme ‘Appropriateness and ability to engage’, few patients were aware of the names or purpose of their medications and reportedly missed doses frequently. Reminders from family members were considered a major facilitator to adherence to antihypertensive medications. Patients welcomed the idea of outreach services for hypertension and health education closer to home in the theme ‘Things the patients reported to improve the system’.ConclusionPatients identified several barriers to accessing hypertension care in Sri Lanka. Measures recommended improving hypertension management in Sri Lanka including public education on hypertension, better communication between healthcare professionals and patients, and efforts to improve access and understanding of antihypertensive medications.Trial registration number NCT02657746.