Impact of Sunscreen Dispensers in Parks Visited by Teenagers

President and Fellows of Harvard College

Status: Active, not recruiting

Conditions: Sunscreening Agents; Adolescent Behavior; Skin Neoplasm

Treatments: Behavioral: Dispensers, Flyers, Enhanced Signage + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT05908435

IRB22-1402

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will evaluate the use of publicly available free sunscreen dispensers at Maine beaches and Boston and Cambridge parks.

Aim 1: Determine the impact of DFS+ (dispensers, flyers, enhanced signage, + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors) sun protection education on the use of free sunscreen dispensers by adolescents ages 12-20 compared with DFS (dispensers, flyers, standard signage).

Aim 2: Outcomes evaluation to assess the effects of the sunscreen dispensers and the sun-safety educational intervention on sun protection knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors within the community.

Aim 3: Cost Evaluation and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Full description

The investigators will build on the pioneering work of IMPACT Melanoma which has provided free sunscreen dispensers to a general population. This study will build on IMPACT Melanoma's ability to install, maintain, and now for the first time, target and publicize the use of dispensers for a teen population. The investigators will test scalable methods for improving the use of free sunscreen dispensers by testing DFS interventions compared with the addition of social media led by teen ambassadors. The investigators will evaluate the impact of the intervention in both parks and beaches in Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA and Maine.

Enrollment: 1,200 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 20 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being a Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA or Maine youth ages 12-20
• Able to complete a survey in English

Exclusion criteria

• Not a Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA or Maine youth ages 12-20
• Not able to complete a survey in English

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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1,200 participants in 2 patient groups

Dispensers, Flyers, Enhanced Signage + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors

Experimental group

Description:

The DFS+ experimental group is designed to increase utilization of free sunscreen dispensers, applying and reapplying sunscreen, and motivating use of other forms of sun protection by teens in 8 Boston parks and 2 Maine beaches. IMPACT Melanoma will install and maintain free sunscreen dispensers at the study sites. Flyers will be posted at locations at the park/beach to inform people of the availability of free sunscreen and the location of the dispenser. 'Teen enhanced' signage will be present on the dispenser in the intervention parks/beaches. Teen ambassadors will share 3-5 posts to their social media platform over the course of 1 week encouraging sun protection practices and use of the free sunscreen dispenser (when the intervention is occurring at the study site).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Dispensers, Flyers, Enhanced Signage + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors

Dispensers, Flyers, Signage

No Intervention group

Description:

The DFS control group includes dispensers, flyers, and standard signage at 8 Boston parks and 2 Maine beaches. IMPACT Melanoma will install and maintain free sunscreen dispensers at the study sites. Flyers will be posted at locations at the park/beach to inform people of the availability of free sunscreen and the location of the dispenser. Standard signage will be present on the dispenser in the control parks/beaches.