What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess the effects of smartphone applications on oral hygiene and glycemic control in diabetic patients.

April 22, 2026Open Access

Health nursing guidance-based smart phone applications of oral hygiene and glycemic control on health-related outcomes among diabetic patients

Key Points

To assess the effects of smartphone applications on oral hygiene and glycemic control in diabetic patients.
Quasi-experimental design with a purposive sample of 76 diabetic patients.
Participants divided into study group and control group for 6 months of data collection.
Follow-up conducted for 12 weeks post-intervention.
Significant reduction in mean HbA1c levels in the study group from 9.3 to 6.1 post-intervention.
Improvement in oral hygiene behaviors and reductions in Dental Neglect and OHRQoL scores in the intervention group.
Total Oral Health Value showed a smaller yet significant improvement with p<0.01.

Abstract

Objective Dental neglect, oral health values, Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL), and HbA1c levels are interconnected factors that significantly impact the overall health and well-being of individuals with diabetes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health nursing guidance based on phone applications of oral hygiene and glycemic control on health-related outcomes among diabetic patients. Methods A quasi-experimental research design was used. A purposive sample of 76 adult diabetic patients was divided into a study group (n = 38) and a control group (n = 38). Data collection for the study sample was conducted in the medical clinic of the university hospital (MU) and Shebin El Kom Teaching Hospital. The total study period was 6 months, from September 2023 to March 2024, while the follow-up period lasted 12 weeks. Results Approximately 45% of study group patients were aged 30-39 years (42.1%), with a mean age of 38.8 ± 11.9 years (range, 18-59 years). After the intervention, there was an incredibly apparent enhancement with p< .0001 in all study diabetic outcome items except total Oral Health Value with p< .01. After smartphone application intervention, there was an incredibly apparent enhancement with p< .0001 in all study diabetic outcome items except total Oral Health Value with p< .01 including total oral hygienic behaviors, Dental Neglect scale, total OH-QoL scale, total Oral Health Value scale, Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1C). Among the study groups, the mean HbA1c score post-intervention decreased from 9.3 ± 1.6 (pre-intervention) to 6.1 ± 0.4, while in the control group, it decreased from 9.2 ± 1.5 (pre-intervention) to 6.9 ± 0.5 post-intervention. Conclusion The study concluded that mobile health applications (mHealth) for oral hygiene and diabetic control instructions have a significant, positive effect on improving Oral Health Values and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in the study group compared to the control group. There was a decrease in the Dental Neglect score and HbA1c levels among the intervention group compared to the control group.

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