The Impact of Education via Email on Osteoporosis-Preventive Behaviors among Female Students: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Osteoporosis is a preventable disease. Insufficient knowledge is one of the major causes of high prevalence of osteoporosis. In this study, the effect of education via email, was assessed on osteoporosis-preventive behaviors among female students.
This clinical trial study (pretest, posttest and with control), was performed on 170 female students of Mazandaran University (state and non-medical university) in 2013. In this study, email was used as an educational tool to improve physical activity and calcium intake among female students. Data collection tool was a valid questionnaire consisting of 3 sections [demographic, calcium intake (FFQ), and physical activity (IPAQ)]. Emails were sent to the students during 4 weeks. Data were analyzed before and 3 months after the education using independent t-, paired t-, and Chi square tests.
The amount of calcium intake in the experimental group significantly increased after the education compared to the control group (p=0.009). Also, the score of physical activity significantly increased after education compared to the control group (p The results of this study showed that new communication technologies could be used for health education purposes. Therefore, sending emails can affect osteoporosis-preventive behaviors among adolescents, especially young women.