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Article History

Received: 18 March 2025

Accepted: 4 June 2025

First Online: 2 July 2025

Declarations

:

: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Approval Code: IR.TUMS.FNM.REC.1399.102). Informed consent was obtained from the legal guardians of all participants, and verbal assent was secured from the children to ensure voluntary participation. The objectives, processes, and ethical considerations of the study, including participants’ right to withdraw at any time without consequences, were explained to the participants using age-appropriate language to ensure they fully understood. In this regard, a simple and clear script was developed. Confidentiality was strictly maintained by anonymizing all collected data, removing personal identifiers, and restricting access to the research team. During group discussions, where sensitive topics could be raised, confidentiality was emphasized, and all participants were informed of the importance of keeping information shared in the group confidential. The research team made efforts to avoid requiring participants to share their sensitive personal experiences. Instead, educational content was explained using examples involving fictional characters with made-up names. To minimize potential psychological distress, the educational content was carefully designed in collaboration with pediatric nursing experts, psychologists, and child rights advocates to be age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and non-distressing. A trained psychologist was present during all sessions to provide immediate support if necessary. In cases where children showed signs of distress or required additional psychological support, they were referred to psychological services for further assistance. To ensure equitable access to the intervention’s benefits, the educational program was provided to the control group after the study’s completion.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.