Effect of media messages on health-promoting lifestyle of acute coronary syndrome patients: A randomized clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Patient education is a key factor in promoting the health of people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and the effective use of technology can play an important role in this regard. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of education using media messages on the lifestyle of patients with ACS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present clinical trial was conducted on 91 cases with ACS admitted to the cardiac ward of Afshar Hospital in Yazd, Iran, during 2018–2019, who were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. The former only was provided with routine training before discharge, while the latter, in addition to routine training before discharge, received education on social networking and sending text/visual messages. At baseline and 3 months after the intervention, the Walker's Lifestyle Questionnaire was completed. The independent t-test, paired t-test, and Chi-square test were employed for data analysis. RESULTS: The average lifestyle value of the intervention group was significantly higher compared with the control group after the intervention (P < 0.001). Moreover, the lifestyle score was significantly different pre- and post-intervention in the intervention group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Education using media messages is useful to promote the lifestyle in cases with ACS, which seems effective in planning the follow-up for these patients.