ArticleCureus2025
Acceptability of the MySmile Mobile Health Application Among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study Using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background Oral health among adolescents remains a public health concern in Malaysia, with persistent challenges in achieving behavioural change through traditional education methods. Given the widespread use of smartphones among adolescents, mobile health (mHealth) applications offer a promising avenue for health promotion. Objective This study aimed to explore the acceptability of the MySmile mobile application (app), designed to improve oral health knowledge and behaviours among secondary school students in Malaysia, using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). Methods This study employed a qualitative approach that involved five focus group discussions (FGDs) with 23 students from two intervention schools that participated in a 12-week MySmile app intervention. Participants were purposively selected based on their gender, school locality, and frequency of app usage. Discussions were guided by a semi-structured topic guide aligned with the seven TFA domains: affective attitude, burden, ethicality, intervention coherence, opportunity cost, perceived effectiveness, and self-efficacy. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using the Framework Method. Results The app was perceived as highly acceptable across all TFA domains. Students described it as fun, engaging, and easy to use, with gamified features that enhanced learning. The perceived burden was low, and ethicality was reinforced by the app's culturally appropriate content and privacy features. Participants demonstrated a clear understanding of the app's purpose and reported no significant opportunity cost. Perceived effectiveness was strong, with students reporting improved brushing habits, reduced sugar intake, and sharing of health messages with family. The app also promoted self-efficacy, with students expressing confidence in applying its recommendations independently. Conclusions The MySmile app was well accepted among Malaysian adolescents and appears to be a feasible tool for school-based oral health promotion. These findings support the integration of mHealth strategies in adolescent health programmes and highlight the importance of user-centred, theory-driven intervention design.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.