Social Media as an Information, Education and Communication Tool for Rabies Prevention: An Interventional Study

Background: Rabies is a fatal disease that can be avoided by treating animal bites promptly. Hence, post-exposure prophylaxis is critical. As a result, the National Rabies Control Program was approved under the 12th five-year plan in India. One of its strategies is to engage in Information, Education and Communication activities. Social media provides an opportunity for the quick and easy dissemination of research but is constrained by a lack of peer review and the risk of misinterpretation. The efficacy of a novel social media-based knowledge dissemination strategy for rabies prevention was tested in this study.

Methods: An experimental study design was followed, wherein 144 preclinical medical students of Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India were included in each control and test group. The test group was administered the intervention, which exposed the participants to health education material via social media across a span of 30 days. Participants' knowledge, attitude and practices were observed before and after the study duration.

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Key information

Conditions

Rabies Adherence Interventions Behavior Health Behavior Health Education Infections Medication Adherence Mononegavirales Infections Patient Acceptance of Health Care Patient Compliance Preventive Health Services Public Health RNA Virus Infections Rhabdoviridae Infections Treatment Adherence and Compliance Virus Diseases

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Maulana Azad Medical College

Delhi, 110002, India

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

adult individuals who have a smartphone, internet access and are WhatsApp users
preclinical medical students, i.e., Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) 1st and 2nd professional year students

Exclusion criteria

individuals who themselves have been a dog bite or rabies victim
individuals who have a dog bite or rabies victim in the household
individuals who developed the above criteria during the study duration were excluded from the data analysis

Treatment and study plan

Rabies Information Education and Communication Material

Other

The test group was administered the rabies IEC material available on the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) website (https://ncdc.gov.in/index1.php?page=1&ipp=All&lang=1&level=2&sublinkid=502&lid=428) in English and Hindi languages using a WhatsApp broadcast every 3 days for 30 days, in a cyclical manner. This material includes brochures, posters, short films, and informative documents designed to educate the general public about rabies prevention and post-exposure prophylaxis practices. Text messages, encouraging the participants to go through the material, were also a part of this intervention.

Primary outcomes

To measure the impact of a social media-based dissemination strategy on information dissemination and retention for rabies IEC material among preclinical medical students

Time frame: 2 months

The responses obtained through a KAP questionnaire were entered into an MS Excel file and analyzed using SPSS version 24. The responses were scored +1 for the correct answer, -1 for the incorrect answer, and 0 for the "Don't know" answer. Aggregated scores were categorized using Bloom's cut-off points for each of the 3 sections (knowledge, attitude, and practices): "good", if the score was between 80 and 100%, "moderate" if the score was between 60 and 79%, and "poor" if the score was less than 60%. Means and percentages of responses were calculated for both test and control groups, before and after the intervention.

The changes in responses for both groups were measured and compared.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Maulana Azad Medical College

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2022
Primary completion: 2022
Study completion: 2022
First posted: Jan 27, 2023
Registry last updated: Jan 27, 2023

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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