Effectiveness of WeChat-group-based parental health education in preventing unintentional injuries among children aged 0–3: randomized controlled trial in Shanghai

Abstract

Background: Unintentional injuries to children are a major public health problem. The online social media is a potential way to implement health education for caregivers in online communities. Using WeChat, a free and popular social media service in China, this study evaluated the effectiveness of social online community-based parental health education in preventing unintentional injuries in children aged 0–3. Methods: We recruited 365 parents from two community health centers in Shanghai and allocated them into intervention and control groups randomly. Follow-up lasted for one year. The intervention group received and followed their WeChat group and a WeChat official account for dissemination of reliable medical information. The control group received only the WeChat group. Results: Between the intervention and control groups, changes in unintentional injuries (OR = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.02–2.87, P =.04), preventability (β = 0.344, 95% CI: 0.152–0.537, P