Impact of Sunscreen Dispensers in Parks Visited by Teenagers

October 17, 2024 updated by: Alan Geller, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Measuring the Impact of Free Sunscreen Dispensers in Community Settings Frequented by Youth

This study will evaluate the use of publicly available free sunscreen dispensers at Maine beaches and Boston and Cambridge parks.

Aim 1: Determine the impact of DFS+ (dispensers, flyers, enhanced signage, + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors) sun protection education on the use of free sunscreen dispensers by adolescents ages 12-20 compared with DFS (dispensers, flyers, standard signage).

Aim 2: Outcomes evaluation to assess the effects of the sunscreen dispensers and the sun-safety educational intervention on sun protection knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors within the community.

Aim 3: Cost Evaluation and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The investigators will build on the pioneering work of IMPACT Melanoma which has provided free sunscreen dispensers to a general population. This study will build on IMPACT Melanoma's ability to install, maintain, and now for the first time, target and publicize the use of dispensers for a teen population. The investigators will test scalable methods for improving the use of free sunscreen dispensers by testing DFS interventions compared with the addition of social media led by teen ambassadors. The investigators will evaluate the impact of the intervention in both parks and beaches in Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA and Maine.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

1200

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Massachusetts
      • Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02155
        • Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being a Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA or Maine youth ages 12-20
  • Able to complete a survey in English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not a Boston, MA, Cambridge, MA or Maine youth ages 12-20
  • Not able to complete a survey in English

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Dispensers, Flyers, Enhanced Signage + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors
The DFS+ experimental group is designed to increase utilization of free sunscreen dispensers, applying and reapplying sunscreen, and motivating use of other forms of sun protection by teens in 8 Boston parks and 2 Maine beaches. IMPACT Melanoma will install and maintain free sunscreen dispensers at the study sites. Flyers will be posted at locations at the park/beach to inform people of the availability of free sunscreen and the location of the dispenser. 'Teen enhanced' signage will be present on the dispenser in the intervention parks/beaches. Teen ambassadors will share 3-5 posts to their social media platform over the course of 1 week encouraging sun protection practices and use of the free sunscreen dispenser (when the intervention is occurring at the study site).
Behavioral: Dispensers, Flyers, Enhanced Signage + a social media component delivered by teen ambassadors
The study intervention is designed to increase utilization of free sunscreen dispensers, applying and reapplying sunscreen, and motivating use of other forms of sun protection by teens. IMPACT Melanoma will install and maintain free sunscreen dispensers at the study sites. Flyers will be posted at locations at the park/beach to inform people of the availability of free sunscreen and the location of the dispenser. 'Teen enhanced' signage will be present on the dispenser in the intervention parks/beaches. Teen ambassadors will share 3-5 posts to their social media platform over the course of 1 week encouraging sun protection practices and use of the free sunscreen dispenser (when the intervention is occurring at the study site).
No Intervention: Dispensers, Flyers, Signage
The DFS control group includes dispensers, flyers, and standard signage at 8 Boston parks and 2 Maine beaches. IMPACT Melanoma will install and maintain free sunscreen dispensers at the study sites. Flyers will be posted at locations at the park/beach to inform people of the availability of free sunscreen and the location of the dispenser. Standard signage will be present on the dispenser in the control parks/beaches.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reported use of sunscreen from surveys completed by teens
Time Frame: In real-time, up to 1 day
Survey responses about sunscreen use
In real-time, up to 1 day
Dispenser utilization/Measured reduction in sunscreen levels in dispensers
Time Frame: In real-time, up to 1 day
The investigators will count of the number of teens between the ages of 12 and 20 using the sunscreen dispenser in real-time at the park or beach as they are using the dispenser. This will serve as the numerator. The investigators will also conduct observations to determine an estimated number of teens who are the park on a given day. This will serve as the denominator. This count will be in real-time, counting the number of teens who we observe at the park or beach where the study is taking place.
In real-time, up to 1 day

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Sun prevention practices
Time Frame: In real-time, up to 1 day
Survey responses about sun protection practices
In real-time, up to 1 day

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Collaborators

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Alan Geller, MPH, RN, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH)

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 3, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 31, 2024

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 30, 2023

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 9, 2023

First Posted (Actual)

June 18, 2023

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

October 18, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 17, 2024

Last Verified

October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IRB22-1402

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Sunscreening Agents

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Venezuela

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

Subscribe