PREVENCANADOL project: impact of a website and some mobile phone SMS on behavioral risk of cancer in school population and its adult environment

ISRCTN ISRCTN27988779
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN27988779
Secondary identifying numbers FISS08PI080544
Submission date
25/02/2013
Registration date
14/03/2013
Last edited
28/04/2015
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
The overall number of cancer cases is increasing and, therefore, strengthening cancer prevention has become a priority. The recommendations for primary prevention include advices, such as: not smoking, following a healthy diet, doing daily physical exercise or avoiding overweight, among others. Adolescence is a period of adoption and/or consolidation of health behaviors, and both school- and family-based interventions have proven effective to improve them. Furthermore, online and mobile phone educational interventions are encouraging. The main aims of the study are:
From a broad focus, to explore the capacity that the web and SMS provide to prevent cancer risk behaviors in adolescents and in their adult environment.
From a narrow focus, (a) to assess the diffusion capacity of an educational intervention based on new technologies, (b) to measure the beneficiary capture and (c) to describe cancer behavioral risk.

Who can participate?
Adolescents of Secondary Education who are aged between 12 and 16 years, and the adults of their environment (i.e. their relatives and teachers) who have voluntarily accepted to participate.

What does the study involve?
Participants will be randomly allocated to intervention and control group. The implementation and assessment of a complex online program, entitled Prevencanadol, supplemented with the delivery of SMS. The study factor is comprised of a tailor made website (www.alertagrumete.com) and of the delivery of SMS, which try to prevent cancer risk. A mixed group of (a) specialists in Preventive Medicine and (b) Secondary School teachers designed the educational contents (which are currently being taught at the schools by means of a specially prepared website) as well as the text of the SMS (related to the advantages of healthy behaviors and the skills to refuse invitations that can carry out risk behaviors).

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Some benefits of participating in the study can be the following: a) to know the European Code against Cancer, whose recommendations are similar to those of other guidelines; b) to be influenced by the received information (using scientific methods of proven effectiveness) and consequently to follow the prevention advices; c) to integrate prevention activities in their daily lives, transversely. Thus, in general, the program will facilitate the meeting of several aims pointed out by the WHO for non communicable diseases. If the effectiveness of the educational intervention is confirmed, it will reduce the number of risk behaviours and their incorporation into the lifestyle of adolescents. Reducing the incidence of cancer is the expected result (if we achieve to control the behavioral risk factors included in the European Code against Cancer). Then, an improvement in quality of life and a reduction of the costs of cancer diagnosis and treatment will be the expected long term consequences. There are no evident risks for participants, but anticipating risks is very difficult due to this initiative's novelty, but other similar tools have not reported any problems for participants.

Where is the study run from?
The study is taking place in Spain and Mexico.

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
The study started at the beginning of 2010 and it is expected to run until the end of 2013 (incorporation of subjects). In 2014 we will perform a follow-up and an evaluation procedure.

Who is funding the study?
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Minisitry of Science and Innovation - Health Research Fund of the Institute of Health Carlos III)

Who is the main contact?
Dr. Alberto Lana Pérez
lanaalberto@uniovi.es

Study website

Contact information

Dr María Luisa López
Scientific

Avda. Julián Clavería s/n.
Facultad de Medicina
Oviedo
33006
Spain

Study information

Study designRandomized controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Other
Study typePrevention
Participant information sheet http://www.alertagrumete.com/como-participar
Scientific titlePREVENCANADOL project: impact of a website and some mobile phone SMS on behavioral risk of cancer in school population and its adult environment - a randomized controlled trial
Study acronymPREVENCANADOL
Study objectivesPREVENCANADOL [(PREVENCANADOL = PREVENtion - CANcer - ADOLescents)]

A multicomponent and complex educative intervention, based in the primary prevention advices of the European Code against Cancer and in the attitude-social influence-efficacy (ASE) Model, delivered by a website and supplemented with mobile phones, reduces cancer behavioral risk in adolescents and adults.
Ethics approval(s)Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Asturias Regional [Comité Ético de Investigación Clínica Regional del Principado de Asturias], 27/02/2009, ref: 19/09
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedCancer risk behaviors
InterventionThis randomized controlled trial has two arms: subjects of the experimental group have free access to the whole sections of the website during one academic course and will receive around 40 mobile phone text messages (one per week). The website includes: 40 challenges or problems to be solved, which are adapted to the school curriculum and to cancer prevention, discussion forums, games, information and links, diet analysis and 40 educational videos.

Participants of the control group will have limited access to the described sections and they do not receive the messages.
Intervention typeBehavioural
Primary outcome measureGlobal cancer behavioral risk indicator
Secondary outcome measuresCancer risk behaviors (smoking, diet, alcohol consumption, sun exposure, sedentarism and overweight)
Overall study start date01/10/2009
Completion date30/06/2013

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupChild
Lower age limit12 Years
Upper age limit16 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participantsAround 3,000
Key inclusion criteria1. Students of Secondary Education, aged between 12 and 16, either sex, who have voluntarily accepted to participate
2. To have access to the Internet
Key exclusion criteriaDoes not meet inclusion criteria
Date of first enrolment01/10/2009
Date of final enrolment30/06/2013

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Mexico
  • Spain

Study participating centre

Avda. Julián Clavería s/n.
Oviedo
33006
Spain

Sponsor information

Carlos III Health Institute (Instituto de Salud Carlos III) (Spain)
Government

Calle Sinesio Delgado, 6
Madrid
28019
Spain

Website http://www.isciii.es/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/00ca2c886

Funders

Funder type

Government

Instituto de Salud Carlos III (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación - España) (Spain) Number FISS08PI080544

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Protocol article protocol 17/04/2013 Yes No
Results article results 01/02/2014 Yes No