Educational WhatsApp-delivered Intervention Based on Social Cognitive Theory to Promote Leishmaniosis Preventive Behavior of Health Ambassadors: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Multidimensional strategies can promote preventive behaviors to prevent cutaneous leishmaniosis. WhatsApp, the popular messenger of Iranians, can be used as a platform to provide health education interventions. This study aimed to investigate the effect of using an educational intervention in WhatsApp based on social cognitive theory (SCT) on the preventive behaviors of health ambassadors. A randomized clinical trial was conducted from September 2020 to April 2021 on 220 people living in endemic areas of leishmaniosis in Mashhad Province, Iran. By the cluster method sampling, the samples were randomly divided into two intervention and control groups. The intervention was performed for the intervention group over two weeks. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on the constructs of SCT before and after the intervention. SPSS 16 was implemented to test multiple statistical analyses. Findings from the intervention group compared with the control group showed that the scores of SCT constructs and preventive behaviors were significantly changed (P < 0.001) across time during baseline through follow-up. These changes were not significant in the control group. The educational intervention based on the SCT model to promote leishmaniosis preventive behaviors is effective. This intervention module can be tested in other targeted populations in endemic areas to prevent and control leishmaniosis. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials Registry IRCT20200615047784N1, registered 02/09/2020.