Effect of improving digital health communication skills on lifestyle of medical students : Interventional study among medical students / Radwa Ibrahim Ali Hassan ; Supervised Omaima Kamel Elsalamony , Shaimaa Baher Abdelaziz , Mohamed Fathelbab Elsayed

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Communtiy Medicine

Background: In the era of increasingly expanding digital ecosystem, health misinformation and infodemic, became highly risky. This problem is magnified due to the vulnerability of most internet users, especially the adolescents' information seekers who lack the needed knowledge and skills to find credible sources. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of using credible digital health information sources on promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors among medical students at Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University. Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental study, with pre/post-assessment comparisons. It was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Helwan University. A group of 480 were recruited and assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group attended both, the digital health module and the health promoting module. Results: Almost all participants used internet daily 98.8%, with highest preference to social media 72.5% and text messaging 74.8%. Seeking health information was a common practice 87.1. Results of pre and post-assessment comparisons, showed post-assessment significant improvements in digital usage and lifestyle behaviours among the intervention group. Comparing the intervention subgroups; the mobile application subgroup and the website subgroup, revealed no significantdifference among the two subgroups as regards lifestyle behaviors

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