Sun Safe Partners Online: Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Background Harnessing supportive influences in close relationships is an innovative and potentially effective strategy to improve sun protection behaviors. Objective This pilot randomized controlled clinical trial evaluates the feasibility and impact of Sun Safe Partners Online, a web-based, couples-focused intervention to improve sun protection behavior. Methods A total of 75 couples reporting suboptimal levels of sun protection recruited from Facebook advertisements were randomized to receive a web-based intervention called Sun Safe Partners Online or a Generic Online Sun Safety Information intervention. Sun Safe Partners Online had 4 individual-focused modules and 4 couples-focused modules. Feasibility was assessed by study enrollment, engagement, follow-up survey completion, and intervention evaluation. Participants completed baseline and a 1-month postintervention survey assessing sun protection and exposure, along with individual and relationship attitudes about the importance of sun protection. Results Using Facebook as a recruitment strategy resulted in rapid enrollment and higher acceptance than for the prior telephone and print trial. The follow-up survey completion was higher in the Generic Online condition (100%) than in the Sun Safe Partners Online condition (87.2%). Engagement in Sun Safe Partners Online was high, with more than two-thirds of participants completing all modules. Evaluations of Sun Safe Partners Online content and features as well as ease of navigation were excellent. Sun Safe Partners Online showed small effects on sun protection behaviors and sun exposure on weekends compared with the Generic Online intervention and moderate effect size increases in the Sun Safe Partners Online condition. Conclusions This study uses a novel approach to facilitate engagement in sun protection by harnessing the influence of relationships among spouses and cohabiting partners. A couples-focused intervention may hold promise as a means to improve sun protection behaviors beyond interventions focused solely on individuals by leveraging the concern, collaboration, and support among intimate partners and addressing relationship-based barriers to sun protection. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04549675; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04549675

Cancer worry after facial nonmelanoma skin cancer resection and reconstruction: A 1‐year prospective study

“…7,26 However, it is important to inform patients that the risk of new NMSC will continue to persist and that it may be useful to lower this risk with preventative measurements, for example, regular skin examination, sun protection, or more innovative methods such as smartphone applications and teledermoscopy. 16,[27][28][29][30][31][32] Therefore, this group of patients might benefit from receiving additional counseling and information on recurrence rates, future skin cancer risk, and skin cancer prevention.…”

A Digital Intervention to Improve Skin Self-Examination Among Survivors of Melanoma: Protocol for a Type-1 Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Randomized Trial

“…We will work with a social media marketing company to develop keywords and advertisements targeting individuals with characteristics similar to those of survivors of melanoma (eg, older age). As noted previously, this approach has been successfully used in 2 previous and one current skin cancer–related intervention project [ 60 - 62 ]. This approach will also recruit a broader population of survivors of melanoma than the previous efficacy trial.…”

A Digital Intervention to Improve Skin Self-Examination Among Survivors of Melanoma: Protocol for a Type-1 Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Randomized Trial (Preprint)

“…We will work with a social media marketing company to develop keywords and advertisements targeting individuals with characteristics similar to those of survivors of melanoma (eg, older age). As noted previously, this approach has been successfully used in 2 previous and one current skin cancer-related intervention project [60][61][62]. This approach will also recruit a broader population of survivors of melanoma than the previous efficacy trial.…”