چكيده لاتين :
Objective: this study aimed to compare the effect of gain-frame and loss-frame SMS on knowledge and practice of mothers with children under the age of 6 in the field of children oral health.
Materials and Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted in 2016 in Kindergartens and preschool centers of Shiraz, Iran. Sample consisted of 240 mothers who had at least one child less than 6 years old. Random cluster sampling method was used. Data was collected before and 3 to 4 weeks after the intervention.
Results: results showed that knowledge and practice scores were statistically significant after the intervention (P=0.66). Tukey test results showed a significant difference in the posttest knowledge mean scores between the control group (8.86 ± 2) with gain-frame (11.77 ± 2.16, P 0.001) and loss-framed groups (12.06±1.92, P 0.001). Moreover, there was a significant difference in the post-test practice mean scores between the control group (56.05±11.46) with gain-frame (60.69±7.77, P 0.001) and loss-frame groups (60.39±8.88, P 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between post-test scores of the gain frame and loss-frame mean scores (P=0.69).
Discussion: This study explored the effectiveness of gain- and loss-frame oral health educational messages in a group of mothers with children less than 6 years old.
Conclusion: Gain-frame and loss-frame SMS did not have different impacts on then knowledge and practice of mothers about children s oral health, but both improved them. Therefore, it is suggested that regardless of the text messages framing, this method should be used more in educating mothers.
