Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy (Jul 2018)
Evaluation of the SnapChat mobile social networking application for breast cancer awareness among Saudi students in the Dammam Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
Turki M Alanzi, Alanoud Alobrah, Reem Alhumaidi, Shahad Aloraifi Health Information Management and Technology Department, College of Public Health, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia Purpose: The main aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and the effectiveness of the SnapChat social networking mobile application in increasing the awareness of breast cancer among the Saudi female students in the Dammam region of Saudi Arabia. Patients and methods: An intervention study was carried out with 200 participants divided among 2 groups: a control group and an intervention group. The control group did not receive any awareness materials, and the intervention group received awareness about breast cancer through SnapChat using videos, texts, and pictures. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted at the beginning and at the end of the study to assess the change in the awareness among the participants. Results: A significant improvement in the breast cancer awareness was found in the intervention group with P=0.001. The mean knowledge was found to be increased from 8.7±2.8 to 14.8±3.01 (mean ± SD). Conclusion: The SnapChat mobile social networking application can be effectively used in creating breast cancer awareness among the Saudi population. Keywords: breast cancer awareness, social networking, mammogram, SnapChat
