Developing and Testing the Effectiveness of a Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program

National University Health System (NUHS)

Status: Not yet enrolling

Conditions: Benign Skin Growth; Skin Cancer; Skin Cancer Prevention

Treatments: Behavioral: Wait-list Control; Behavioral: Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with loss-framing; Behavioral: Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with gain-framing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07247123

2024/00074

Details and patient eligibility

About

Skin cancer is a significant public health concern, even in an Asian society like Singapore where it ranks among the top 10 cancers. This RCT tests the effectiveness of a skin cancer educational intervention to improve skin cancer outcomes among skin-of-color individuals, including the effects of gain versus loss framing.

Full description

Reducing skin cancer related morbidity and mortality involves two broad domains; (1) Identification and early detection of skin cancers and (2) Awareness and behavioral change to reduce modifiable risk factors like UV exposure. Regular self-examination and public education have been shown in RCTs to improve knowledge and identification of skin cancers. However most of these existing studies and the tools they utilise rely on Western-centric photographs and messaging, such as the 'ABCDE rule' for superficial spreading and nodular melanoma. These neglect skin cancers far more common in skin of colour population such as acral lentiginous melanomas, pigmented basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

In addition to improving detection, effective behavioural change strategies are needed to encourage protective practices such as regular sunscreen use. Message framing has gained interest as a behavioral change technique: gain-framed messages emphasize the benefits of adopting a behavior, while loss-framed messages highlight the negative consequences of not doing so. Although message framing is widely used in health communication, evidence of its effectiveness in promoting skin cancer-related behaviors is unclear.

Effectiveness of our proposed intervention can help to increase adoption of sun protective behaviours, improve detection rates of skin cancer and allow earlier medical intervention, hence reducing morbidity and mortality of skin cancer.

Enrollment: 280 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Individuals aged 16 and above
• Able to read and converse in English
• Able to provide informed consent
• Having the ability to use and interact with a web server or application.

Exclusion criteria

- Individuals who have cognitive impairment or decline to participate. There will be no exclusion criteria based on a previous history of skin cancer.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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280 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants will fill up a baseline competency examination and questionnaire, and another at the 4 month mark. Access to the intervention for control group participants will only be provided after the 4-month questionnaire is completed.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Wait-list Control

Intervention with gain framing

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will fill up a baseline competency examination and questionnaire. Afterwards, they will have access to a website with gain-framed messages emphasising benefits of adopting a behaviour. Thereafter, another competency questionnaire will be administered following completion of material.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with gain-framing

Intervention with loss framing

Experimental group

Description:

Participants will fill up a baseline competency examination and questionnaire. Afterwards, they will have access to a website with loss-framed messages highlighting consequences of failing to adopt a behaviour. Thereafter, another competency questionnaire will be administered following completion of material.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with loss-framing