Tuğba Dündar, Hilmiye Aksu, Emine Gerçek Öter, Belma Toptaş Acar, Sevgi Özsoy
{"title":"Development and Effectiveness of a Mobile Application for Vulvar Self-examination: A Quasi-Experimental Study.","authors":"Tuğba Dündar, Hilmiye Aksu, Emine Gerçek Öter, Belma Toptaş Acar, Sevgi Özsoy","doi":"10.1097/LGT.0000000000000835","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to develop a mobile application for vulvar self-examination and to examine its effect on performing vulvar self-examination.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This is a quasi-experimental study. Forty-seven women accepted to participate. The mobile application was uploaded to the women's phones and the women's vulvar self-examination practices were followed through the application for 6 months. Obtained data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and the McNemar's test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean age of the participants was 35.34 ± 9.85 years. Initially, out of all the participants, none performed vulvar self-examination, 95.7% did not regularly have their yearly gynecological examination, 29% did not have pap smear, and 91.5% had no information about vulvar self-examination. In the third month after the mobile application was downloaded, 68.1% were performing vulvar self-examination and this percentage decreased to 57.4% in the sixth month without a significant difference (p < .05). The women reported that they had difficulty in performing the examination in the first follow-up and did not have time to do it in the second follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The mobile application increased the rate of examination, and there was no significant difference in the number of the women performing the examination between the follow-ups.</p>","PeriodicalId":50160,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease","volume":"28 4","pages":"365-370"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1097/LGT.0000000000000835","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a mobile application for vulvar self-examination and to examine its effect on performing vulvar self-examination.
Materials and methods: This is a quasi-experimental study. Forty-seven women accepted to participate. The mobile application was uploaded to the women's phones and the women's vulvar self-examination practices were followed through the application for 6 months. Obtained data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and the McNemar's test.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.34 ± 9.85 years. Initially, out of all the participants, none performed vulvar self-examination, 95.7% did not regularly have their yearly gynecological examination, 29% did not have pap smear, and 91.5% had no information about vulvar self-examination. In the third month after the mobile application was downloaded, 68.1% were performing vulvar self-examination and this percentage decreased to 57.4% in the sixth month without a significant difference (p < .05). The women reported that they had difficulty in performing the examination in the first follow-up and did not have time to do it in the second follow-up.
Conclusions: The mobile application increased the rate of examination, and there was no significant difference in the number of the women performing the examination between the follow-ups.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease is the source for the latest science about benign and malignant conditions of the cervix, vagina, vulva, and anus.
The Journal publishes peer-reviewed original research original research that addresses prevalence, causes, mechanisms, diagnosis, course, treatment, and prevention of lower genital tract disease. We publish clinical guidelines, position papers, cost-effectiveness analyses, narrative reviews, and systematic reviews, including meta-analyses. We also publish papers about research and reporting methods, opinions about controversial medical issues. Of particular note, we encourage material in any of the above mentioned categories that is related to improving patient care, avoiding medical errors, and comparative effectiveness research. We encourage publication of evidence-based guidelines, diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms, and decision aids. Original research and reviews may be sub-classified according to topic: cervix and HPV, vulva and vagina, perianal and anal, basic science, and education and learning.
The scope and readership of the journal extend to several disciplines: gynecology, internal medicine, family practice, dermatology, physical therapy, pathology, sociology, psychology, anthropology, sex therapy, and pharmacology. The Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease highlights needs for future research, and enhances health care.
The Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease is the official journal of the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease, and the International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy, and sponsored by the Australian Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology and the Society of Canadian Colposcopists.