Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40358058›Full record

ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2025

Examining the Effects of the Protection Motivation Theory-Based Online Intervention on Improving the Cognitive Behavioral Outcomes of Caregivers of Children With Atopic Diseases: Quasi-Experimental Study.

Dequan Shen, Qinzhun Zhang, Jiayu Tang, Jiahui Wu, Hui Huang, Yuchang Xu, Yinan He, Jialu He, Chengyin Ye

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Dequan Shen *Department of Health Management, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2465-5606
Qinzhun Zhang *Department of Health Management, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0781-4720
Jiayu Tang *Department of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6370-7863
Jiahui WuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5927-7022
Hui HuangDepartment of Health Management, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6071-3736
Yuchang XuDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1538-2871
Yinan HeDepartment of Health Management, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8775-8037
Jialu HeDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2325-9537
Chengyin YeDepartment of Health Management, School of Public Health, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8384-1857

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe increasing prevalence of pediatric atopic diseases in China poses substantial risks to children's physical health, mental well-being, and quality of life. Cognitive behavioral interventions for caregivers are effective in managing pediatric atopic diseases. Existing interventions are typically siloed and lack integration across the comorbidities of the atopic march. The protection motivation theory (PMT) could provide an integrated cognitive behavioral intervention framework for addressing shared pathophysiological mechanisms and unifying management strategies across atopic diseases, while online interventions offer advantages in accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, particularly for caregiver-mediated pediatric care.

objectiveThis study aimed to develop and evaluate a PMT-based cognitive behavioral online (PMT-CBO) intervention for caregivers of children with atopic diseases, assessing its effects on caregivers' protective motivation, behavioral intentions, preventive practices, and children's atopic disease outcomes.

methodsA quasi-experimental design was conducted in 3 health care institutions in Hangzhou, China, where 2 health care institutions were assigned to the PMT-CBO group (127/243, 52.3%) and 1 health care institution was assigned to the control group (116/243, 47.7%). Caregivers in the PMT-CBO group received a 4-week structured course comprising 16 online modules delivered via a WeChat mini-program, whereas controls received routine care with verbal education. Primary outcomes included caregivers' PMT dimensions (threat appraisal and coping appraisal), behavioral intentions, and preventive behaviors, and secondary outcomes involved children's symptom severity and medication adherence. The primary outcome scales or questionnaires were designed by the research team, while the secondary outcome scales were derived from established studies. All scales demonstrated good reliability and validity. Intention-to-treat analysis was used.

resultsCompared to the control group, the PMT-CBO group demonstrated significant improvements in overall PMT scores (Z=-6.289; P<.001) and most subdimensions (response efficacy, self-efficacy, threat severity, and response cost, with P<.05), except susceptibility (Z=-1.321; P=.19) and reward appraisals (Z=-0.989; P=.32). In the intervention group, caregivers exhibited stronger intentions and partial behavioral optimization (eg, environmental allergen control, with Z=-3.025; P=.002) and children showed improved medication adherence (Z=-4.457; P<.001) and alleviated eczema (Z=-3.112; P=.002) and allergic rhinitis symptoms (Z=-3.277; P<.001), although no significant differences emerged in asthma control (Z=-.830; P=.41) or food allergy-related caregiver burden (Z=-1.693; P=.09).

conclusionsThe PMT-CBO intervention enhanced caregivers' motivation and intentions and children's medication adherence and eczema and rhinitis outcomes, with a 91.3% (116/127) completion rate via WeChat's scalable platform. Limited improvements in asthma control and food allergy management implied the future need for additional condition-specific plug-ins, beyond the core PMT-CBO modules. Moreover, merging this PMT-CBO intervention with implementation techniques or ecological frameworks could help address intention-behavior gaps and external barriers, thereby promoting equitable and precision-based allergy care.

Indexed as

CaregiversCognitive Behavioral TherapyMotivationAdultChildChild, PreschoolChinaFemaleHumansInternetMaleallergy and immunologycaregiverschildcognitive behavioral therapyhypersensitivityinternet-based interventionprevention and controlprotective motivation theory

Identifiers

PMID40358058
PMCPMC12117277

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.