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Skin CancerShadeNCT02971709

Use of Shade in U.S. and Australian City Parks

A study testing Shade Sail in people with Skin Cancer, run by Klein Buendel, Inc. at 2 sites in 2 countries.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

Use of shade when outdoors is recommended by health authorities worldwide to reduce overall exposure to ultraviolet radiation. However, expensive physical environment changes are often required to provide shade and may be effective only when health education has created a social environment that motivate shade use. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Skin Cancer
What is being tested?
Shade Sail
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
144 participants
Where
2 sitesin 2 countries
Study dates
Jul 2010to 31 May 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Passive recreation areas had to be located in public parks in Denver, Colorado USA or Melbourne, Victoria Australia metropolitan area.
  • Parks had to contain at least two unshaded PRAs and be administered by the study municipalities,
  • Passive recreation areas had to meet the definition of a passive recreation area, i.e., areas for sitting/standing while socializing, preparing/eating a meal, watching or coaching sports, watching a concert, taking a class, or waiting, or areas where people stroll (walk slowly) for sightseeing while observing outdoor displays (e.g., festivals, gardens, zoo exhibits).
  • Passive recreation areas had to be in full sun (i.e. no shade) at pretest.
  • Passive recreation areas had to contain a space where a shade sail could be constructed, i.e., free from underground or above ground obstructions, relatively level, and large enough to accommodate the shade sail.
  • Passive recreation areas had to be approved by parks department staff for shade sail construction.
  • Adults had to appear to be 18 years of age or older.
  • Adults had to be in the public parks.

Who cannot join

  • Passive recreation areas where major construction/ redevelopment of the parks was planned within the study period.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 2 countries.

2 sites in 2 countries

United States1 site
  • Klein Buendel, Inc.

    Golden, Colorado, 80403

Other trials in United States

Australia1 site
  • Cancer Council Victoria

    Melbourne, Victoria, 3004

Other trials in Australia

About this study

Official title: Norms and Built Environment: Use of Shade in U.S. and Australian City Parks

Use of shade when outdoors is recommended by health authorities worldwide to reduce overall exposure to ultraviolet radiation. However, expensive physical environment changes are often required to provide shade and may be effective only when health education has created a social environment that motivate shade use. A multi-national research team will explore the use of built shade in passive recreation areas within public parks and compare use of built shade between the United States and Australia. The specific aims of the project are to: a) introduce built shade structures (i.e., shade sails) in public parks in Denver and Melbourne; b) compare the use of passive recreation areas with and without built shade; c) compare the change in use of the passive recreation areas in Denver and Melbourne after introduction of built shade, and d) examine the relationship among social environment and physical features of the environment and built shade.

Read the detailed description

This study is designed to understand the value of shade development in skin cancer prevention and test predictions from social ecologic models that health behavior results from the interplay among the built environment, social environment, and setting features. Use of shade is recommended by health authorities worldwide. However, shade provision requires expensive physical environment changes and may be effective only when health education has created a social environment (e.g., norms) that motivates its use. A multi-national research team will explore the use of built shade in passive recreation areas (i.e., areas for sitting/ standing while socializing, preparing/eating a meal, watching/coaching sports, watching a concert, taking a class, or waiting, or areas where people stroll for sightseeing, while observing outdoor displays, or shopping) within public parks and compare use between the United States (i.e., Denver, Colorado) and Australia (i.e., Melbourne, Victoria) to prospectively test the moderating influence of social environment on the built environment. Pilot studies confirmed that adults in Melbourne had stronger sun protection habits and norms than adults in Denver. The specific aims of the project are to: a) introduce built shade structures (i.e., shade sails) in public parks in Denver and Melbourne; b) compare the use of passive recreation areas with and without built shade; c) compare the change in use of the passive recreation areas in Denver and Melbourne after introduction of built shade, and d) examine the relationship among social environment and physical features of the environment and built shade.The research team will build shade sails at passive recreation areas in public parks and compare use of the passive recreation areas to unshaded passive recreation areas in a randomized pretest-posttest controlled design. Passive recreation areas will be enrolled in one of three annual sample waves and stratified by location (72 in Denver and 72 in Melbourne). In each wave, passive recreation areas will be pretested in a first summer, further stratified based on baseline use, and randomized following pretest to construction of a shade sail or an untreated control group in a 1:3 ratio. Posttesting will occur the following summer, after construction of the shade sails. In total, 36 passive recreation areas will be randomized to the intervention group with shade sail construction (18 per city) and 108 passive recreation areas to the untreated control group with no shade sails (54 per city). The primary outcome measure will be use of the passive recreation areas, observed by trained research assistants. The secondary outcome measure will be the potential ultraviolet radiation exposure, assessed by hand-held meters during the observations of the passive recreation areas. Data collection will occur during 30-minute periods between 11 am and 3 pm on on 4 weekend days over 20-weeks in the summer. Primary analyses will be performed on the probability the passive recreation areas are in use when observed and secondary analysis, on estimated standard erythemal dose of ultraviolet radiation during 30 minutes, using intent-to-treat methods.

Conditions
Skin Cancer
Being tested
Shade Sail
Medical subject headings
Skin Neoplasms

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Shade SailBehavioural

    Shade sails had powder-coated or gout galvanized steel poles and a lighter colored shade cloth to transmit visual light. The shade cloth met Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) ratings to reduce UV under the shade cloth by 94%. The final shade sail designs and sizes were determined with input from parks department staff and complied with all local engineering, building, and planning codes. Shade sails exceeded the minimum safety requirements for strength (for wind and snow load), resistance to light degradation, and UV transmission. The design minimized climbing access points and hazards to adjacent activities.

Study groups in NCT02971709
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Shade SailExperimentalShade sails were constructed over passive recreation areas in public parks between pretest and posttest. Shade sails maximized available shade in the passive recreation areas from 11 am to 3 pm in the summer.
Receives: Behavioral: Shade Sail
Unshaded ControlNo interventionPassive recreation areas in public parks that remained unshaded at pretest and posttest.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Observed Use of Passive Recreation Area by Adults

    Any use of each passive recreation, assessed by observing each passive recreation areas for 30 minutes on four weekend days between 11 am and 3 pm when forecast high temperatures were had forecast high temperature were between 72°F/22°C and 95°F/35°C over a 20-week period during two summers (pretest summer, posttest summer) by trained research assistants. Observations were suspended during rain.

    Measured: One-year

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Solar Ultraviolet Radiation Level

    Average potential UV exposure for a user of the passive recreation area assessed in standard erythemal units, based on measurements from a handheld UV meter performed by trained research assistants during assessment of the primary outcome.

    Measured: One-year

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Nov 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study startJul 2010
  3. Primary completion31 May 2017
  4. Study completion31 May 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
144 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02971709
Sponsor's protocol ID
CA140367
Other IDs
0265
Acronym
Shade
Status last verified
Jul 2017
First submitted
21 Nov 2016
Last updated
25 Jul 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No

Publications

  • Buller DB, English DR, Buller MK, Simmons J, Chamberlain JA, Wakefield M, Dobbinson S. Shade Sails and Passive Recreation in Public Parks of Melbourne and Denver: A Randomized Intervention. Am J Public Health. 2017 Dec;107(12):1869-1875. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304071. Epub 2017 Oct 19.

    PubMed 29048958

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Shade Sail in people with Skin Cancer, run by Klein Buendel, Inc. at 2 sites in 2 countries.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Jul 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States, Australia. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Observed Use of Passive Recreation Area by Adults (time frame: One-year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02971709, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Jul 2017.

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