Developing and Testing the Effectiveness of a Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program

NCT ID: NCT07247123

Last Updated: 2026-01-27

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 280 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-02-28
• Study Completion Date: 2027-12-31

Brief Summary

Skin cancer is a significant public health concern, even in an Asian society like Singapore where it ranks among the top 10 cancers. This RCT tests the effectiveness of a skin cancer educational intervention to improve skin cancer outcomes among skin-of-color individuals, including the effects of gain versus loss framing.

Detailed Description

Reducing skin cancer related morbidity and mortality involves two broad domains; (1) Identification and early detection of skin cancers and (2) Awareness and behavioral change to reduce modifiable risk factors like UV exposure. Regular self-examination and public education have been shown in RCTs to improve knowledge and identification of skin cancers. However most of these existing studies and the tools they utilise rely on Western-centric photographs and messaging, such as the 'ABCDE rule' for superficial spreading and nodular melanoma. These neglect skin cancers far more common in skin of colour population such as acral lentiginous melanomas, pigmented basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

In addition to improving detection, effective behavioural change strategies are needed to encourage protective practices such as regular sunscreen use. Message framing has gained interest as a behavioral change technique: gain-framed messages emphasize the benefits of adopting a behavior, while loss-framed messages highlight the negative consequences of not doing so. Although message framing is widely used in health communication, evidence of its effectiveness in promoting skin cancer-related behaviors is unclear.

Effectiveness of our proposed intervention can help to increase adoption of sun protective behaviours, improve detection rates of skin cancer and allow earlier medical intervention, hence reducing morbidity and mortality of skin cancer.

Conditions

Skin Cancer; Skin Cancer Prevention; Benign Skin Growth

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Control

Participants will fill up a baseline competency examination and questionnaire, and another at the 4 month mark. Access to the intervention for control group participants will only be provided after the 4-month questionnaire is completed.

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Wait-list Control

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants in the control group will gain access to the intervention websites after the 4-month questionnaire is completed.

Intervention with gain framing

Participants will fill up a baseline competency examination and questionnaire. Afterwards, they will have access to a website with gain-framed messages emphasising benefits of adopting a behaviour. Thereafter, another competency questionnaire will be administered following completion of material.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with gain-framing

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This educational website will feature gain-framing messages, emphasizing the benefits of adopting a behavior, utilising positive language and analogies. The interventional domains are (1) Education on skin cancer risk factors and epidemiology, (2) UV Protection Advice, (3) Skin Self-Examination Techniques and (4) Differentiating benign vs malignant skin conditions.

Intervention with loss framing

Participants will fill up a baseline competency examination and questionnaire. Afterwards, they will have access to a website with loss-framed messages highlighting consequences of failing to adopt a behaviour. Thereafter, another competency questionnaire will be administered following completion of material.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with loss-framing

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This educational website will feature loss-framing messages, highlight the consequences of failing to adopt a behavior, utilising negative language and analogies. The interventional domains are (1) Education on skin cancer risk factors and epidemiology, (2) UV Protection Advice, (3) Skin Self-Examination Techniques and (4) Differentiating benign vs malignant skin conditions.

Interventions

Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with gain-framing

This educational website will feature gain-framing messages, emphasizing the benefits of adopting a behavior, utilising positive language and analogies. The interventional domains are (1) Education on skin cancer risk factors and epidemiology, (2) UV Protection Advice, (3) Skin Self-Examination Techniques and (4) Differentiating benign vs malignant skin conditions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Skin Cancer Self-Detection Educational Program with loss-framing

This educational website will feature loss-framing messages, highlight the consequences of failing to adopt a behavior, utilising negative language and analogies. The interventional domains are (1) Education on skin cancer risk factors and epidemiology, (2) UV Protection Advice, (3) Skin Self-Examination Techniques and (4) Differentiating benign vs malignant skin conditions.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Wait-list Control

Participants in the control group will gain access to the intervention websites after the 4-month questionnaire is completed.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Individuals aged 16 and above
• Able to read and converse in English
• Able to provide informed consent
• Having the ability to use and interact with a web server or application.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National University Hospital, Singapore

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Ellie Choi, MBBS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

National University Hospital, Singapore

Central Contacts

Ellie Choi, MBBS

Role: CONTACT

dermatology@nuhs.edu.sg

65 6908 2222

Other Identifiers

2024/00074

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id