Impact of Education Delivered Through Virtual Platforms on the Awareness of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) Deficiency Among Families in Fars Province, Iran

Introduction: Despite the high prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency in Iran, public awareness of the disease remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a virtual educational intervention on parents’ awareness of G6PD deficiency in Shiraz, Fars Province. Methods: This one-group, prospective, quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 parents of children diagnosed with G6PD deficiency through the neonatal screening program at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. A researcher-designed checklist was used to assess participants’ awareness of G6PD deficiency before and after the educational intervention, delivered via smartphone applications. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the effect of the intervention on participants’ knowledge, with results considered significant at P < 0.05. Results: Fewer than half of the participants demonstrated sufficient awareness of neonatal G6PD deficiency screening. Before the intervention, participants showed limited awareness of the disease, its manifestations, and foods or drugs to avoid. The educational intervention delivered through virtual platforms significantly improved participants’ awareness across all domains (P < 0.001). The greatest improvements were observed in the domains of general awareness about the disease (mean paired difference = 2.09; SD = 1.33) and disease manifestations (mean paired difference = 2.04; SD = 1.54). Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of G6PD deficiency in Iran, public awareness of the condition remains inadequate. Implementing effective educational tools and expanding health education through accessible virtual platforms are essential for increasing awareness and improving disease prevention strategies.