Social-Media Intervention in Reducing Tanning in High-Risk Tanners

Randomized Trial of a Social Media-Delivered Intervention

This randomized clinical trial studies how well social-media intervention works in reducing tanning in high-risk indoor and outdoor tanners. Social-media intervention delivered via Facebook may help to promote healthy behaviors, positive body image, and to understand young women's perception of a social media campaign.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Health Status Unknown
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Survey Administration; Other: Lifestyle and Values Intervention; Other: Lifestyle Intervention

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. To conduct a randomized control trial to examine the efficacy of the intervention versus (vs.) a Facebook-delivered control group on reducing tanning behavior among high-risk indoor and outdoor tanners.

OUTLINE: Participants are randomized to 1 of 2 groups.

GROUP I: Participants periodically read the content on the study-specific secret Facebook group related to living a healthy lifestyle including avoiding tanning and excessive ultraviolet exposure, managing stress, healthy eating, promoting physically active lifestyles, and promoting a healthy body image, and participate in the group by providing reactions, commenting on the posts, or by sharing study relevant information within the group for 8 weeks.

GROUP II: Participants participate in secret Facebook groups that utilize content from the intervention content library related to other health topics of interest (e.g., physical activity, healthy eating, alcohol misuse prevention, stress reduction, sleep) for 8 weeks.

After completion of study, patients are followed up at 3, 8, and 18 months post baseline assessment.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 407
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Kentucky
    • Lexington, Kentucky, United States, 40536
      • University Of Kentucky

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 25 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• High-risk indoor or outdoor tanner (defined as using an indoor tanning bed or intentionally tanning outdoors at least 10 times in the previous 12 months)
• Use of Facebook at least 4 times per week

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group I (focusing on tanning and healthy body image); Participants periodically read the content on the study-specific private and hidden Facebook group related to living a healthy lifestyle including avoiding tanning and excessive ultraviolet exposure, managing stress, healthy eating, promoting physically active lifestyles, and promoting a healthy body image, and participate in the group by providing reactions, commenting on the posts, or by sharing study relevant information within the group for 8 weeks.	Other: Survey Administration; Ancillary studies; Other: Lifestyle and Values Intervention; Participate in Facebook group focusing on avoiding tanning and promoting healthy body image
Active Comparator: Group II (focusing on other health topics); Participants participate in private and hidden Facebook groups that utilize content from the intervention content library related to other health topics of interest (e.g., physical activity, healthy eating, alcohol misuse prevention, stress reduction, sleep) for 8 weeks.	Other: Survey Administration; Ancillary studies; Other: Lifestyle Intervention; Participate in Facebook group focusing on other health topics

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total Tanning Sessions	Multilevel models (e.g., random coefficient) will be used to test the primary study hypothesis that participants who received the intervention will report less combined indoor and outdoor tanning behavior at a 8-month follow-up compared to those who received the control. If necessary, sensitivity analyses may control for individual-level covariates. For reporting purposes, total number of tanning session were summed. Items are measured on open-ended scales with minimum value of 0. Higher numbers report higher rates of tanning, a worse outcome considering it is a risk factor for skin cancer development.	At 8 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Indoor and Outdoor Tanning Behavior Assessed Using Surveys	Multilevel models (e.g., random coefficient) will be used. If necessary, sensitivity analyses may control for individual-level covariates. For reporting purposes, total number of tanning session were summed. Items are measured on open-ended scales with minimum value of 0. Higher numbers report higher rates of tanning, a worse outcome considering it is a risk factor for skin cancer development.	At 18 months
Skin Burns From Indoor and Outdoor Tanning Assessed Using Surveys	Multilevel models (e.g., random coefficient) will be used. If necessary, sensitivity analyses may control for individual-level covariates. Due to programming error in the study surveys, sunburn was not collected at 8 months as intended. Instead, data presented are from the 18-month, long-term follow-up.	At 18 months
Tanning Intentions Assessed Using Surveys	Multilevel models (e.g., random coefficient) will be used. If necessary, sensitivity analyses may control for individual-level covariates. Intentions for both indoor and outdoor tanning were summed to create a single intentions scale. Indoor tanning intentions were assessed with the question "How likely are you to indoor tan (e.g., used a tanning bed, sun lamp, or tanning booth) in the next 12 months?" and outdoor intentions with the question "How likely are you to sunbathe or spend time lying in the sun in the next 12 months?" Both questions included response options on a 6-point scale ranging from extremely unlikely (coded as "1") to extremely likely (coded as "6"). The range of possible responses was 2 to 12 with higher scores indicating higher intentions (a worse outcome).	At 8 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Jerod L Stapleton, PhD
• Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jerod Stapleton, PhD, University Of Kentucky

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Stapleton JL, Manne SL, Pagoto SL, Leip A, Greene K, Hillhouse JJ, Merritt AS, Shelton BJ. A Social Media-Delivered Melanoma Prevention Program for Young Women Engaged in Frequent UV Tanning: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Mar 19;13:e56562. doi: 10.2196/56562.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 19, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): November 19, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 15, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): February 22, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 56153; P30CA072720 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract); NCI-2018-00168 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program)); Pro20170000184; 131704 (Other Identifier: Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey); R01CA218068 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No