The Effect of an Educational Intervention Based on Protection Motivation Theory on Pregnant Women's Knowledge and Self-Protection Regarding COVID-19. An Intervention Study.

Background: COVID-19 infection endangers pregnant women and newborns. Infection prevention measures are available and easy to apply, but the problem is the application continuity. Empowering pregnant women to increase their intention for self-protection is very important. This study explores the effect of educational intervention based on the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) on pregnant women's knowledge and self-protection regarding COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A randomized, controlled trial was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology outpatient clinic at El Shatby Hospital, Alexandria governorate/Egypt, from November 2020 to May 2021. The study included a convenient sample of 163 pregnant women using the randomization block technique. A self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection. For the intervention group, the PMT-based education included need assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Two months later, a reevaluation was done. Results: ANCOVA showed a significant improvement in the intervention group's knowledge (F1 = 8.56, p < 0.001) when taking the pretest as a reference. The effect size shows that 25.8% of the intervention group's knowledge improvement and 58.80% of the difference between the two groups were due to intervention. ANCOVA showed a significant improvement in the intervention group's PMT constructs when taking the pretest or group as a reference (p <0.001). The effect size shows that 56.10% of the intervention group's total PMT constructs improvement and 89.60% of the differences between the two groups were due to the intervention. Conclusions: PMT-based intervention is effective in improving pregnant women's knowledge and self-protection intention regarding COVID-19. PMT is recommended to tailor educational intervention for pregnant women.

Emotional Intelligence, Academic Motivation, and Achievement among Health Science Students in Saudi Arabia: A Self-Deterministic Approach.

PURPOSE: This study used a self-deterministic approach to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), academic motivation (AM), and achievement among health science students. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in three cities of Saudi Arabia (Dammam, Riyadh, and Jeddah). A convenience sample of 450 students was incorporated using the multistage cluster sampling technique. The online survey contained three sections: students' basic data and academic achievement level, the modified Schutte self-report inventory, and the Academic Motivation Scale lowercase. RESULTS: This study revealed moderate overall scores for EI (57.1%), AM (55.6%), and grade point average (GPA) (57.6%). The overall EI score, its domains, and GPA had significant positive correlations with overall AM and intrinsic and extrinsic motivation (p < .01). Amotivation had an insignificant correlation with GPA (p < .05), but it was negatively correlated with EI and its domains (p < .01). Multiple regression analysis proved that EI domains predicted 5.0% of GPA variance; emotions appraisal and expression (ß = .02, p = .024), regulation (ß = .11, p = .032), and utilization (ß = .24, p < .01). EI domains also predicted 26.0% of AM variance; emotions appraisal and expression (ß = .11, p = .04), regulation (ß = .33, p < .01), and utilization (ß = .23, p <.01). Moreover, AM predicted 4.0% of the variance in GPA; intrinsic (ß = .25, p = .004) and extrinsic (ß = .11, p = .022) motivation. AM also predicted 25.0% of the variance in EI: intrinsic (ß = .34, p < .01) and extrinsic motivation (ß = .26, p = .026). CONCLUSION: EI and AM have a bidirectional influence on each other, significantly shaping the GPA of health sciences students in Saudi Arabia, where intrinsic motivation has a predominant role. Thus, promoting students' AM and EI is recommended to foster their academic achievement.

Effect of Digital-Based Self-Learned Educational Intervention about COVID-19 Using Protection Motivation Theory on Non-Health Students' Knowledge and Self-Protective Behaviors at Saudi Electronic University.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has disastrous impacts that impose the cultivation of knowledge and motivation of self-protection to foster disease containment. AIM: Evaluate the effect of digital self-learned educational intervention about COVID-19 using the protection motivation theory (PMT) on non-health students' knowledge and self-protective behaviors at Saudi Electronic University (SEU). METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was accomplished at three randomly chosen branches of SEU (Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah) using a multistage sampling technique to conveniently select 219 students. An electronic self-administered questionnaire was used, which included three scales for assessing the students' knowledge, self-protective behaviors, and the constructs of the PMT. The educational intervention was designed using four stages: need assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. A peer-reviewed digital educational content was developed after assessing the participants' educational needs using the pretest. Then, distributed through their university emails. A weekly synchronous Zoom cloud meeting and daily key health messages were shared with them. Finally, the post-test was conducted after two months. RESULTS: The mean participants' age (SD) among the experimental group was 28.94 (6.719), and the control group was 27.80 (7.256), with a high female percentage (63.4%, 73.8%) and a previous history of direct contact with verified COVID-19 patients (78.6%, 69.2%), respectively. A significant positive mean change (p = 0.000) was detected in the total COVID-19 knowledge of the experimental group post-intervention, either when it was adjusted for the covariates effect of the control group (F1 = 630.547) or the pretest (F1 = 8.585) with a large effect size (η2 = 0.745, η2 = 0.268, respectively). The same was proved by the ANCOVA test for the total self-protective behaviors either when it adjusted for the covariates effect of the control group (F1 = 66.671, p = 0.000) or the pretest (F1 = 5.873, p = 0.020) with a large effect size (η2 = 0.236, η2 = 0.164, respectively). The ANCOVA test proved that post-intervention, all the PMT constructs (perceived threats, reward appraisal, efficacy appraisal, response cost, and protection intention) and the total PMT score were significantly improved (p = 0.000) among the experimental group either when adjusted for the covariates effect of the control group (F1 = 83.835) or the pretest (F1 = 11.658) with a large effect size (η2 = 0.280, η2 = 0.561, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The digital PMT-based self-learned educational intervention effectively boosts non-health university students' COVID-19 knowledge, protection motivation, and self-protective behaviors. Thus, PMT is highly praised as a basis for COVID-19-related educational intervention and, on similar occasions, future outbreaks.

Gestational Diabetes Self-Care Behavior: An Empowerment Educational Intervention Based on BASNEF Model.

Background: Gestational diabetes is a widespread pregnancy-related health problem. Its associated complications can be minimized by empowering women to enhance their self-care behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention using the Beliefs, Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Enabling Factors (BASNEF) model on Gestational Diabetes Self-Care Behaviors (GD-SCB) among gestational diabetic woman. Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled clinical trial was performed at the outpatient clinic, El-Shatby hospital, Alexandria, Egypt, on 180 gestational diabetic women (91 intervention and 89 control groups). Data were collected from April to November 2019 using an interviewing schedule involving sociodemographic characteristics and obstetrics/medical history, BASNEF model questionnaire, and gestational diabetes self-care behavior scale. Results: The findings revealed that an absence of statistically significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics and obstetrics/medical history between the intervention and control groups. Two months post-intervention, all BASNEF model subcontracts and total GD-SCB showed significant improvement in the intervention than the control group; knowledge (F1 = 173.92, p < 0.001), personal beliefs (F1 = 286.54, p < 0.001), subjective norms (F1 = 248.82, p < 0.001), behavioral intention (F1 = 235.43, p < 0.001), enabling factors (F1 = 59.71, p < 0.001), and total GD-SCB (F1 = 775.10, p < 0.001). The effect size showed that 48.60% of the improvement within the intervention group total GD-SCB was due to the intervention. Conclusions: Empowerment through education using the BASNEF model for enhancing GD-SCB was effective and beneficial. Therefore, it can serve as a basic framework for constructing and executing educational programs in the field.