title: Diet-Related Stomach Cancer Behavior Among Iranian College Students: A Text Messaging Intervention
abstract: Background: Stomach cancer is one of the five most common cancers in Iran. This study examined the effectiveness
  of a mobile telephone short-message service (SMS) based-education intervention using Health Belief Model (HBM)
  variables in improving dietary behavior in terms of stomach cancer prevention among a sample of Iranian female college
  students. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 124 female college students in the dormitories
  of Yazd University, Yazd, Iran were randomly selected and assigned to either the intervention (n=62) or the control
  group (n=62). Information (data) regarding HBM variables and dietary behavior related to stomach cancer prevention
  was collected by a self-administrated questionnaire. Forty eight messages were designed and sent to the participants’
  phones in the intervention group during the 48-day intervention period. Two groups were followed-up one month
  after the intervention delivered via SMS. Results: There were significant differences in HBM variables (except for
  the perceived severity) and the preventive dietary behaviors for stomach cancer in the intervention group compared to
  the comparison group following the education intervention delivered via SMS. Conclusions: SMS-delivered nutrition
  education intervention can be a practical strategy to improve dietary behavior related to stomach cancer prevention.
authors.affiliation: Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Email: dehdari.t@iums.ac.ir, dehdarit@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dehdari
authors.forename: Laleh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dehdari
authors.forename: Shima
authors.initials: Sh
authors.lastname: Jazayeri
keywords: Stomach cancer; prevention; dietary behaviors; short; message service; intervention; Iran