BASU, SAURAVGARG, SUNEELASHARMA, NANDINISINGH, M. MEGHACHANDRAGARG, SANDEEP2023-06-272023-06-272021-02BASU SAURAV, GARG SUNEELA, SHARMA NANDINI, SINGH M. MEGHACHANDRA, GARG SANDEEP. Text messaging improves diabetes-related knowledge of patients in India: A quasi-experimental study. The National Medical Journal of India. 2021 Feb; 34(1): 4-90970-258X2583-150Xhttp://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/218129Background. Diabetes-related health education promotes patient efficacy for diabetes self-management. However, sub-optimal knowledge of diabetes in people with diabetes is recognized as a challenge in overcrowded public health facilities in India. We aimed to determine the effect of health education through mobile phone text messages (short messaging service [SMS]) on diabetes-related knowledge of patients with diabetes. Methods. From February 2016 to February 2017, we recruited adult patients with diabetes for this quasi-experimental study done in the outpatient setting of a major tertiary care government hospital in Delhi, India. Participants in the intervention group received a text message on diabetes self-care practices every alternate day for 90 days. We evaluated the patients’ knowledge of diabetes using the Spoken Knowledge in Low Literacy in Diabetes (SKILL-D) questionnaire and a self-designed diabetes knowledge questionnaire. Results. We enrolled 190 men and 160 women, of whom 52 (13.7%) were lost to follow-up. At baseline, mean diabetes knowledge scores were higher in the intervention group compared to the control group. After the intervention period of 3 months, the diabetes knowledge scores for SKILL-D and the patient diabetes knowledge questionnaire showed a statistically significant increase in the intervention group (mean difference 0.7 and 0.5, respectively; p<0.001, but there was no increase in the control group). Conclusion. The use of mobile phone technology for diabetes-related health education through mobile text-message (SMS) technology is an effective method for health promotion.Journal ArticleIndiaDepartment of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi 110002, IndiaDepartment of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi 110002, India