Developing and Testing the Effectiveness of a Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with gain-framing, Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with loss-framing, Wait-list Control.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Skin Cancer, Skin Cancer Prevention, Benign Skin Growth. Basic parameters: from 16 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Singapore
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Protocol for Developing and Testing the Effectiveness of a Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program: A Randomised Controlled Trial
Overview
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.
Detailed 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.
Interventions
- Behavioral Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with gain-framing
This educational website will feature gain-framing messages, emphasizing the benefits of adopting a behavior, utilising positive language and analogies. The interventional domains are (1) Education on skin cancer risk factors and epidemiology, (2) UV Protection Advice, (3) Skin Self-Examination Techniques and (4) Differentiating benign vs malignant skin conditions. - Behavioral Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with loss-framing
This educational website will feature loss-framing messages, highlight the consequences of failing to adopt a behavior, utilising negative language and analogies. The interventional domains are (1) Education on skin cancer risk factors and epidemiology, (2) UV Protection Advice, (3) Skin Self-Examination Techniques and (4) Differentiating benign vs malignant skin conditions. - Behavioral Wait-list Control
Participants in the control group will gain access to the intervention websites after the 4-month questionnaire is completed.
Primary outcome measures
- Change in competency scores [Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention (for intervention arms), 4 months post-intervention]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Knowledge of skin cancer, sun protection and skin self-examination [Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention (for intervention arms), 4 months post-intervention]
- Attitudes toward carrying out sun protection behaviours [Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention (for intervention arms), 4 months post-intervention]
- Subjective norms, which refer to participants' perception of whether significant individuals in their lives would support sun protection behaviours [Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention (for intervention arms), 4 months post-intervention]
- Behavioural outcomes (sun protection behaviour and skin self-examination) [Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention (for intervention arms), 4 months post-intervention]
- Intentions of participants toward carrying out skin cancer risk prevention strategies [Time frame: Baseline, immediately post-intervention (for intervention arms), 4 months post-intervention]
Eligibility criteria
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.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Singapore · 1 center
- National University Hospital — Singapore
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07247123 · 2024/00074