The effectiveness of the stroke sign by sticker: Enhancing stroke knowledge among village health volunteers in community care

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stroke is a global and Thai concern. Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) are vital in community healthcare but lack stroke knowledge. Prior efforts to improve their knowledge were ineffective. The “Stroke Sign by Sticker” application was created to enhance VHV literacy. To evaluate the effectiveness of the “Stroke Sign by Sticker” line application in enhancing stroke awareness among VHVs. METHODS AND MATERIAL: The study was conducted in a health community setting using a quasi-experimental design. The study was conducted within a healthcare community in Thailand. The “Stroke Sign by Sticker” mobile application was developed specifically for the LINE platform. The knowledge scores were measured using a tool that demonstrated a high validity coefficient of. 93. The intervention itself lasted for 3 weeks. The entire process, from the development of the mobile application to the assessment of its effectiveness, took place during the period of 2021-2022. The R program was used to implement the analysis of covariance method for adjusting pretest scores as a covariate. RESULTS: A total of 60 participants were included, with half assigned to the experimental group and the other half to the control group. The post-test knowledge scores were the main outcome measure of interest. The results showed a significant effect of the independent variable, with the experimental group exhibiting a higher mean knowledge score compared to the control group (F = 24.26, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The “Stroke Sign by Sticker” line application demonstrated its effectiveness in promoting stroke knowledge among VHVs, underscoring its potential as a valuable tool for health promotion and education within healthcare settings.