Skin CancerNCT03834974
Social Media Indoor Tanning Study
A study testing Sun Safety Social Media Challenge and Digital Health Social Media Challenge in people with Skin Cancer, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this research is to develop a social media delivered intervention to reduce unprotected sun exposure in young adults with a history of tanning. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Skin Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Sun Safety Social Media Challenge and Digital Health Social Media Challenge
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 66 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 6 Jun 2020to 28 Oct 2020
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 to 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Ages 18-30
- Tanned indoors or outdoors at least once in the past year
- Intends to tan indoors or outdoors this summer
- Daily user of any social media platform
Who cannot join
- No smartphone
- Does not use a social media platform daily
- Lives in a state with an average temperature <75 degrees in May
- Inability to provide consent due to mental illness or a cognitive impairment
- Non-English speaking
- Prisoner
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut, 06269
About this study
Official title: Using a Narrative-Based Approach to Reducing Indoor Tanning
The purpose of this research is to develop a social media delivered intervention to reduce unprotected sun exposure in young adults with a history of tanning.
Read the detailed description
We will use social marketing theory and a user-centered design approach to develop a social media intervention that engages young adults with a history of tanning to practice sun safety behaviors. We will incentivize young adults who have a history of tanning to create social media posts that encourage their peers to engage in sun safety. Focus groups of tanners guided the development of the intervention. Investigators will conduct a pilot feasibility trial where participants will be randomized to a condition in which they are incentivized to create sun safety social media messages to be posted on a sun safety social media account or a condition in which they are incentivized to create social media messages about how to use technology to support healthy lifestyle behaviors to be posted on a health technology social media account. The intervention will last 4 weeks. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, acceptability, participation, social media message engagement (likes, comments, shares), persuasive impact of messages, unprotected sun exposure, sun protection, and tanning behavior. This work will inform a fully powered randomized trial testing the efficacy of this intervention.
- Conditions
- Skin Cancer
- Being tested
- Sun Safety Social Media Challenge, Digital Health Social Media Challenge
- Medical subject headings
- Skin Neoplasms
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Sun Safety Social Media ChallengeBehavioural
Participants will attend a webinar to learn how to create effective social media posts about sun safety and be oriented to the social media accounts on which the messages will be posted. They will be informed that posts should include a sun safety message (e.g., promoting sunscreen use and protective clothing/hats or discouraging risk behaviors like tanning and burning). They will be encouraged to be creative so that the message gets likes and shares. Participants will be encouraged to follow the feeds to see the engagement on their posts, to share the posts in their feed, and to see other participants' posts. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card per post for a maximum of 6 posts ($60). The participant who created the post that receives the most likes, comments, and shares each week will win a $50 Amazon gift card.
Digital Health Social Media ChallengeBehavioural
Participants will attend a webinar to learn how to create effective social media posts about using technology to get healthy and be oriented to the social media accounts on which the messages will be posted. They will be informed that posts should mention some way that technology (e.g., mobile apps, wearables) can be used to promote a healthy habit (e.g., diet, exercise). They will be encouraged to be creative so that the message gets likes and shares. Participants will be encouraged to follow the feeds to see the engagement on their posts, to share the posts in their feed, and to see other participants' posts. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card per post for a maximum of 6 posts ($60). The participant who created the post that receives the most likes, comments, and shares each week will win a $50 Amazon gift card.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Safety Social Media Challenge | Experimental | During this 4-week intervention, participants will be incentivized to create sun safety social media messages that will be distributed on our sun safety Twitter and Facebook feeds. Receives: Behavioral: Sun Safety Social Media Challenge |
| Digital Health Social Media Challenge | Active comparator | During this 4-week intervention, participants will be incentivized to create posts that promote the use of technology to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors (diet, exercise) on our digital health Twitter and Facebook feeds. Receives: Behavioral: Digital Health Social Media Challenge |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Recruitment
The number of completed respondents to recruitment ads, number of respondents eligible at initial screening, and number of respondents who completed baseline.
Measured: Baseline
Retention
The % of participants in each condition who complete the follow-up assessment.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Acceptability
Number of participants who selected agree or strongly agree on 5-point Likert scale rating of how likely participants would be to recommend the intervention to a friend, and how likely they would be to participate again.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Participation
The number of posts created by participants
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Post Engagement
The median number of likes, shares and retweets, and unique commenters each participant post received.
Measured: 4 weeks
Desirability of Tanning
Scale measuring participants' belief that a tan is attractive. Scale ranges from 0-12 with higher scores indicating higher levels of belief that a tan is attractive.
Measured: Baseline
Desirability of Tanning
Scale measuring participants' belief that a tan is attractive. Scale ranges from 0-12 with higher scores indicating higher levels of belief that a tan is attractive.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Desirability of Tanning Alternatives
Average score on items relating to tanning alternative desirability. Scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes towards tanning alternatives.
Measured: Baseline
Desirability of Tanning Alternatives
Average score on items relating to tanning alternative desirability. Scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes towards tanning alternatives.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Persuasive Impact of Participant Messages
The mean of participants ratings for how persuasive they found each post (other than those they created) on a scale of 0-100, with higher scores indicating more persuasive.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Contamination
The number of participants who report they saw the opposite conditions Facebook or Twitter feeds.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Secondary outcomes (14)
Outdoor Tanning Intentions
Three items assessed intentions to tan even once, intentions to tan regularly in the next year, and intentions to quit on a 7-point scale (0=definitely will not, 6=definitely will).
Measured: Baseline
Outdoor Tanning Intentions
Three items assessed intentions to tan even once, intentions to tan regularly in the next year, and intentions to quit on a 7-point scale (0=definitely will not, 6=definitely will).
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Sun Exposure
How many hours the participant spent outside per week between the hours of 10am and 4pm.
Measured: Baseline
Sun Exposure
How many hours the participant spent outside per week between 10am and 4pm
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Outdoor Tanning
How many times in the last 4 weeks the participant went outside for the purpose of tanning in the sun.
Measured: Baseline
Outdoor Tanning
How many times in the last 4 weeks the participant went outside for the purpose of tanning in the sun.
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Sun Protection
Number of participants who reported using sun protection (sunscreen, protective clothing) often or always in the past month
Measured: Baseline
Sun Protection
Number of participants who reported using sun protection (sunscreen, protective clothing) often or always in the past month
Measured: 4-week follow-up
Indoor Tanning Behavior
Number of indoor tanning visits in the previous month
Measured: Baseline
Indoor Tanning Behavior
Number of indoor tanning visits in the previous month
Measured: 4 weeks
Sunburn
Number of participants with 1 or more sunburns in the past month
Measured: baseline
Sunburn
Number of participants with 1 or more sunburns in the past month
Measured: 4 weeks
Outdoor Tanning Duration
Median reported average number of minutes tanned per episode in the past 4 weeks, among participants who tanned in the past 4 weeks.
Measured: 4 weeks
Outdoor Tanning Duration
Median reported average number of minutes tanned per episode in the past 4 weeks, among participants who tanned in the past 4 weeks.
Measured: Baseline
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted8 Feb 2019
- Study start6 Jun 2020
- Primary completion28 Oct 2020
- Study completion28 Oct 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Skin CancerStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
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
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Connecticut
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sherry Pagoto, University of Connecticut
- Investigators
- Sherry L Pagoto, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Connecticut
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03834974
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- H19-033
- Other IDs
- R21CA226133-01
- Status last verified
- Dec 2021
- First submitted
- 7 Feb 2019
- Last updated
- 3 Jan 2022
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Pagoto SL, Waring ME, Groshon LC, Rosen AO, Schroeder MW, Goetz JM. Proof-of-Concept Feasibility Trial of a Dissonance-Based Sun Safety Intervention for Young Adult Tanners. Ann Behav Med. 2022 Aug 2;56(8):830-841. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab116.
PubMed 35179176
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Jan 2022. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Using a Narrative-Based Approach to Reducing Indoor Tanning
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03834974
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- H19-033
- Conditions
- Skin Cancer
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of ConnecticutUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Study start
- 6 Jun 2020 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Oct 2020 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Oct 2020 (actual)
- First posted
- 8 Feb 2019 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 3 Jan 2022
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this research is to develop a social media delivered intervention to reduce unprotected sun exposure in young adults with a history of tanning.
Detailed description
We will use social marketing theory and a user-centered design approach to develop a social media intervention that engages young adults with a history of tanning to practice sun safety behaviors. We will incentivize young adults who have a history of tanning to create social media posts that encourage their peers to engage in sun safety. Focus groups of tanners guided the development of the intervention. Investigators will conduct a pilot feasibility trial where participants will be randomized to a condition in which they are incentivized to create sun safety social media messages to be posted on a sun safety social media account or a condition in which they are incentivized to create social media messages about how to use technology to support healthy lifestyle behaviors to be posted on a health technology social media account. The intervention will last 4 weeks. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, acceptability, participation, social media message engagement (likes, comments, shares), persuasive impact of messages, unprotected sun exposure, sun protection, and tanning behavior. This work will inform a fully powered randomized trial testing the efficacy of this intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Safety Social Media Challenge | Experimental | Behavioral: Sun Safety Social Media ChallengeDuring this 4-week intervention, participants will be incentivized to create sun safety social media messages that will be distributed on our sun safety Twitter and Facebook feeds. |
| Digital Health Social Media Challenge | Active comparator | Behavioral: Digital Health Social Media ChallengeDuring this 4-week intervention, participants will be incentivized to create posts that promote the use of technology to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors (diet, exercise) on our digital health Twitter and Facebook feeds. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Ages 18-30
- Tanned indoors or outdoors at least once in the past year
- Intends to tan indoors or outdoors this summer
- Daily user of any social media platform
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- No smartphone
- Does not use a social media platform daily
- Lives in a state with an average temperature <75 degrees in May
- Inability to provide consent due to mental illness or a cognitive impairment
- Non-English speaking
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Safety Social Media ChallengeParticipants will attend a webinar to learn how to create effective social media posts about sun safety and be oriented to the social media accounts on which the messages will be posted. They will be informed that posts should include a sun safety message (e.g., promoting sunscreen use and protective clothing/hats or discouraging risk behaviors like tanning and burning). They will be encouraged to be creative so that the message gets likes and shares. Participants will be encouraged to follow the feeds to see the engagement on their posts, to share the posts in their feed, and to see other participants' posts. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card per post for a maximum of 6 posts ($60). The participant who created the post that receives the most likes, comments, and shares each week will win a $50 Amazon gift card. | Behavioural | Sun Safety Social Media Challenge |
| Digital Health Social Media ChallengeParticipants will attend a webinar to learn how to create effective social media posts about using technology to get healthy and be oriented to the social media accounts on which the messages will be posted. They will be informed that posts should mention some way that technology (e.g., mobile apps, wearables) can be used to promote a healthy habit (e.g., diet, exercise). They will be encouraged to be creative so that the message gets likes and shares. Participants will be encouraged to follow the feeds to see the engagement on their posts, to share the posts in their feed, and to see other participants' posts. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card per post for a maximum of 6 posts ($60). The participant who created the post that receives the most likes, comments, and shares each week will win a $50 Amazon gift card. | Behavioural | Digital Health Social Media Challenge |
Primary outcome
Recruitment
Time frame: Baseline
The number of completed respondents to recruitment ads, number of respondents eligible at initial screening, and number of respondents who completed baseline.
Retention
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
The % of participants in each condition who complete the follow-up assessment.
Acceptability
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Number of participants who selected agree or strongly agree on 5-point Likert scale rating of how likely participants would be to recommend the intervention to a friend, and how likely they would be to participate again.
Participation
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
The number of posts created by participants
Post Engagement
Time frame: 4 weeks
The median number of likes, shares and retweets, and unique commenters each participant post received.
Desirability of Tanning
Time frame: Baseline
Scale measuring participants' belief that a tan is attractive. Scale ranges from 0-12 with higher scores indicating higher levels of belief that a tan is attractive.
Desirability of Tanning
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Scale measuring participants' belief that a tan is attractive. Scale ranges from 0-12 with higher scores indicating higher levels of belief that a tan is attractive.
Desirability of Tanning Alternatives
Time frame: Baseline
Average score on items relating to tanning alternative desirability. Scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes towards tanning alternatives.
Desirability of Tanning Alternatives
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Average score on items relating to tanning alternative desirability. Scale ranges from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes towards tanning alternatives.
Persuasive Impact of Participant Messages
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
The mean of participants ratings for how persuasive they found each post (other than those they created) on a scale of 0-100, with higher scores indicating more persuasive.
Contamination
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
The number of participants who report they saw the opposite conditions Facebook or Twitter feeds.
14 secondary outcomes
Outdoor Tanning Intentions
Time frame: Baseline
Outdoor Tanning Intentions
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Sun Exposure
Time frame: Baseline
Sun Exposure
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Outdoor Tanning
Time frame: Baseline
Outdoor Tanning
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Sun Protection
Time frame: Baseline
Sun Protection
Time frame: 4-week follow-up
Indoor Tanning Behavior
Time frame: Baseline
Indoor Tanning Behavior
Time frame: 4 weeks
Sunburn
Time frame: baseline
Sunburn
Time frame: 4 weeks
Outdoor Tanning Duration
Time frame: 4 weeks
Outdoor Tanning Duration
Time frame: Baseline
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Jan 2022.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 35179176Pagoto SL, Waring ME, Groshon LC, Rosen AO, Schroeder MW, Goetz JM. Proof-of-Concept Feasibility Trial of a Dissonance-Based Sun Safety Intervention for Young Adult Tanners. Ann Behav Med. 2022 Aug 2;56(8):830-841. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaab116.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Sherry L Pagoto, PhD principal investigator
University of Connecticut
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Sun Safety Social Media Challenge and Digital Health Social Media Challenge in people with Skin Cancer, run by University of Connecticut at 1 site in United States.
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 4 inclusion and 6 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 3 Jan 2022. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 3 Jan 2022). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Recruitment (time frame: Baseline). The study lists 11 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT03834974, 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 3 Jan 2022; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.