The Effect of Structured Health Information-Seeking Training on Cyberchondria and E-Health Literacy in Menopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

September 17, 2026 updated by: Merve Tuncer, Istanbul University

This randomized controlled study will examine whether two different forms of structured health information-seeking education can help women in perimenopause or postmenopause use online health information more effectively. It will assess whether video-based education and Pecha Kucha-based education reduce cyberchondria, which refers to repeated online health searches that may increase health-related worry, and improve e-health literacy and knowledge about menopause.

The study will include 60 women aged 40 to 65 years. Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to a video-based education group, a Pecha Kucha-based education group, or a control group, with 20 participants in each group. The education will cover how to identify reliable online health sources, evaluate health information, recognize misleading content, use effective search methods, and avoid online searching behaviors that may increase anxiety. The control group will not receive structured education during the study period. Outcomes will be assessed before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month later. The findings will help determine which educational method is more effective in supporting safe and informed online health information-seeking among women during the menopausal transition.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The increasing use of the internet as a source of health information may help women access information about menopause, but it may also expose them to inaccurate, misleading, or anxiety-provoking content. Repeated online searching for symptoms and diseases may increase health-related worry and contribute to cyberchondria. Therefore, the ability to find, understand, evaluate, and appropriately use online health information is particularly important during the menopausal transition.

This study is designed as a three-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial to compare the effects of video-based and Pecha Kucha-based structured health information-seeking education among women in perimenopause or postmenopause. A total of 60 women will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to the video-based education group, the Pecha Kucha-based education group, or the control group. Each group will include 20 participants.

Participants in the video-based education group will receive structured health information-seeking education through a video. Participants in the Pecha Kucha-based education group will receive structured education through a concise, visually focused Pecha Kucha presentation. Both educational approaches will address the benefits and risks of seeking health information online, methods for identifying reliable sources, evaluation of authorship and scientific evidence, recognition of advertising and misleading content, effective search strategies, verification of information across multiple sources, and strategies for limiting repetitive online searches that may increase anxiety. The control group will not receive structured health information-seeking education during the study period.

Data will be collected from all three groups at three time points: before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. The study will examine changes in cyberchondria severity, e-health literacy, and menopause knowledge over time. Changes will be compared among the video-based education, Pecha Kucha-based education, and control groups. The findings will provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of the two educational approaches and help determine which method better supports safe and informed online health information-seeking during the menopausal transition.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

45 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 40 to 65 years
  • Being in the perimenopausal or postmenopausal period
  • Able to read and understand Turkish
  • Having experience using a smartphone, the internet, or social media
  • Willing to participate and able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
  • Having a neurological disorder that affects cognitive functioning
  • Having a hearing or visual impairment that prevents effective communication or participation
  • Having a severe health condition that prevents regular participation in the study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Video-Based Education Group

Participants will receive structured health information-seeking education delivered through a video.
Other: Video-Based Health Information-Seeking Education

Video-Based Health Information-Seeking Education: Participants will receive structured health information-seeking education through an educational video. The video will explain the benefits and risks of searching for health information online; how to assess the author, institution, publication date, and scientific basis of online content; how to recognize advertisements, commercial content, sensational headlines, and misleading social media information; how to use appropriate search terms and verify information across multiple reliable sources; and how to limit repetitive searches that may increase health-related anxiety. The video format allows the educational content to be delivered in a standardized audiovisual format.
Experimental: Pecha Kucha-Based Education Group

Participants will receive structured health information-seeking education delivered using the Pecha Kucha presentation format.
Other: Pecha Kucha-Based Health Information-Seeking Education

Pecha Kucha-Based Health Information-Seeking Education: Participants will receive structured health information-seeking education using the Pecha Kucha presentation format. The presentation will consist of 20 visually focused slides, each displayed automatically for
No Intervention: Control Group

Participants will not receive structured health information-seeking education during the study period. They will complete the assessments at the same time points as the intervention groups.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Cyberchondria Severity Scale-Short Form Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention

Cyberchondria will be assessed using the 12-item Cyberchondria Severity Scale-Short Form (CSS-12). The scale evaluates excessive online health searches, distress, reassurance seeking, and compulsive searching. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale. Total scores range from 12 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater cyberchondria severity. Changes in scores will be compared among the video-based education, Pecha Kucha-based education, and control groups.
Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in E-Health Literacy Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention

E-health literacy will be assessed using the E-Health Literacy Scale. The scale evaluates participants' perceived ability to find, understand, evaluate, and use health information obtained from electronic sources. The eight scored items are rated on a 5-point scale, producing a total score ranging from 8 to 40. Higher scores indicate greater e-health literacy. Changes in scores will be compared among the three study groups.
Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Menopause Knowledge Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention

Knowledge about menopause will be assessed using the 14-item Menopause Knowledge Scale. The scale includes two domains: general menopause knowledge and knowledge of menopausal symptoms and their management. Total scores range from 14 to 70, with higher scores indicating greater menopause knowledge. Changes in scores will be compared among the three study groups.
Baseline, immediately after the intervention, and 1 month after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Istanbul University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Dr Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
January 24, 2027

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
March 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 17, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 17, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2026-2

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared with other researchers because the data contain personal health information and external data sharing is not included in the current study protocol and ethical approval. Study findings will be reported only in aggregate form to protect participant confidentiality.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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