Effectiveness of an e-Book on Bone Health as Educational Material for Adolescents: Single-Group Experimental Study

BACKGROUND: Improved bone health during adolescence can have lifelong implications, reducing the risk of bone fragility.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an e-book in increasing knowledge about and promoting healthy practices related to bone health among Malay adolescents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

METHODS: A total of 72 adolescents (female: n=51, 71%; age: mean 15, SD 0.74 y) were recruited from selected secondary schools. The participants answered a pretest web-based questionnaire on sociodemographic data, knowledge about osteoporosis, and physical activity. A video call was conducted to assess dietary calcium intake. Participants were provided with a link to an e-book on bone health and instructed to read it within 2 weeks. Postintervention assessments included those for knowledge, physical activity, dietary calcium intake, and acceptance of the e-book.

RESULTS: There was a significant increase in the median knowledge score, which was 40.6% (IQR 31.3%-46.9%) during the pretest and 71.9% (IQR 53.9%-81.3%) during the posttest (P