Dos Santos Sousa Ana Jessica, da Silva Barbara Inácio, Santos Beatriz Laryssa de Jesus, de Arruda Guilherme Tavares, Rodrigues Jessica Cordeiro, Avila Mariana Arias, Driusso Patricia
Women's Health and Pelvic Floor Study Group (GEMAP), Physical Therapy Department, State University of Paraíba (UEPB), Campina Grande, PB, Brazil.
Study Group on Chronic Pain (NEDoC), Laboratory of Research on Electrophysical Agents (LAREF), Physical Therapy Department, Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
Mhealth. 2025 Jul 14;11:31. doi: 10.21037/mhealth-24-88. eCollection 2025.
Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a prevalent gynecological condition characterized by menstrual pain. Women with PD often experience functional disability, absenteeism, and presenteeism, leading to increased healthcare costs. Health education is a proven strategy for improving self-management behaviors, and mobile health (mHealth) technologies, such as smartphone applications (apps), offer a promising avenue for delivering educational interventions. However, existing menstrual cycle apps have limited functionality and do not focus on PD self-management. We aimed to develop and validate a health education app-ColicApp-to improve knowledge and self-management of PD and to assess adherence, self-efficacy, and satisfaction among users.
This was a descriptive technology development study. The content of the app was designed based on a literature review, incorporating scientific evidence on PD self-management. A prototype was developed following structured guidelines and included sections on the definition, prevalence, pathophysiology, symptoms, self-care strategies, and pain management techniques. The content was reviewed for accessibility and comprehension by a group of women from the community. The app was validated by women's health physiotherapists and women with PD using the content validity index (CVI) and percentage of absolute agreement. Adherence, self-efficacy, and satisfaction were assessed over three menstrual cycles using standardized instruments. Data were collected online using Google Forms.
The content of the app was evaluated by 22 women's health physiotherapists and 17 women with PD. The experts rated the app with a CVI greater than 0.76, while women with PD rated it greater than 0.80, with overall agreement levels of 96% and 94%, respectively. Participants provided suggestions for improvement, including the addition of explanatory videos for women with low literacy. Among 99 women who used the app, adherence rates were 76.8% in the first cycle, 68.7% in the second cycle, and 55.6% in the third cycle. A significant correlation was observed between adherence in the third cycle and pain reduction. Self-efficacy scores were high, indicating improved confidence in managing PD symptoms. Most participants reported high satisfaction with the app's design, functionality and educational content of the app.
ColicApp was successfully developed and validated as an educational tool for PD self-management. High levels of adherence, self-efficacy, and satisfaction ratings suggest strong clinical applicability. This mHealth intervention has the potential to enhance self-care practices among women with PD and could serve as a valuable resource for both individuals and healthcare professionals. Future studies should evaluate the performance of the app when integrated into operating system platforms.
原发性痛经（PD）是一种常见的妇科疾病，其特征为经期疼痛。患有原发性痛经的女性常出现功能障碍、缺勤和出勤但低效的情况，导致医疗费用增加。健康教育是改善自我管理行为的一项经证实有效的策略，而移动健康（mHealth）技术，如智能手机应用程序（应用），为提供教育干预提供了一条有前景的途径。然而，现有的月经周期应用功能有限，且未专注于原发性痛经的自我管理。我们旨在开发并验证一款健康教育应用程序——绞痛应用程序（ColicApp），以提高对原发性痛经的认识和自我管理能力，并评估用户的依从性、自我效能感和满意度。
这是一项描述性技术开发研究。该应用程序的内容基于文献综述进行设计，纳入了关于原发性痛经自我管理的科学证据。按照结构化指南开发了一个原型，其中包括关于定义、患病率、病理生理学、症状、自我护理策略和疼痛管理技术的章节。一组社区女性对该内容的可及性和理解性进行了审查。女性健康物理治疗师和患有原发性痛经的女性使用内容效度指数（CVI）和绝对一致百分比对该应用程序进行了验证。使用标准化工具在三个月经周期内评估依从性、自我效能感和满意度。数据通过谷歌表单在线收集。
22名女性健康物理治疗师和17名患有原发性痛经的女性对该应用程序的内容进行了评估。专家对该应用程序的CVI评分高于0.76，而患有原发性痛经的女性评分高于0.80，总体一致率分别为96%和94%。参与者提出了改进建议，包括为识字水平低的女性添加解释性视频。在99名使用该应用程序的女性中，第一个周期的依从率为76.8%，第二个周期为68.7%，第三个周期为55.6%。观察到第三个周期的依从性与疼痛减轻之间存在显著相关性。自我效能感得分较高，表明对管理原发性痛经症状的信心有所提高。大多数参与者对该应用程序的设计、功能和教育内容表示高度满意。
绞痛应用程序（ColicApp）作为一种原发性痛经自我管理的教育工具已成功开发并得到验证。高水平的依从性、自我效能感和满意度评分表明其具有很强的临床适用性。这种移动健康干预有可能增强患有原发性痛经女性的自我护理实践，并且可以成为个人和医疗保健专业人员的宝贵资源。未来的研究应评估该应用程序集成到操作系统平台时的性能。
