Hanne Jensen Haricharan|Marion Heap|Damian Hacking|Yan Kwan Lau
Health promotion via SMS improves hypertension knowledge for deaf South Africans
University of Cape Town|University of Cape Town|University of Cape Town|University of Cape Town
signing deaf south africans limited access health information result knowledge health limited cell phone usage south africa high study aimed assess whether short message service smsbased health promotion campaign could improve deaf peoples knowledge hypertension healthy living additionally study aimed assess acceptability using smss health promotion targeting deaf peoplea baseline questionnaire assessed participants knowledge hypertension smsbased information campaign conducted campaign exit questionnaire conducted containing questions baseline questionnaire additional questions general acceptability communication preferences results compared baseline exit using mcnemars test paired ttest wilcoxon signedrank test focus groups aimed get information impact acceptability smss focus groups analysed using inductive thematic analysisthe campaign recruited 82 participants baseline survey due significant losstofollowup exclusions 41 participants included analysis survey majority 60 men eighty percent employed 98 finished high school campaign showed statistically significant improvement overall knowledge hypertension healthy living amongst participants six individual questions 19 also showed statistically significant improvement despite participants focus groups found medical terminology difficult understand several ways improving sms campaigns deaf identified included using using pictures using signed smss combining smss signed drama linking smscampaigns interactive communication service would enable deaf pose questions clarification focus groups suggested participants hypertensive campaign adopted healthier lifestylesmss effective improving deaf peoples knowledge hypertension healthy living however smscampaigns cognizant deaf peoples unique needs communication preference explore accommodate thesethe research registered pan african clinical trial registry december 1 2015 identification number pactr201512001353476