Stopping Upper Respiratory Infections and Flu in the Family: The Stuffy Trial
STUFFY
Stopping URIs and Flu in the Family: The Stuffy Trial
2 other identifiers
interventional
2,788
1 country
1
Brief Summary
Colds and flu cause much loss of work and school. The purpose of this study is to try to reduce the transmission of colds and flu among household members with one of three interventions: some educational material, educational material and use of alcohol hand sanitizers, and educational material and use of alcohol hand sanitizers as well as face masks when somebody has symptoms of the flu. We will recruit 450 households in Northern Manhattan and each household will be randomly assigned to one of these three groups. We will then follow these households for 15 months to see how often they get cold and flu symptoms. We will also look at antibiotic use practices for symptoms of colds and influenza ; household member knowledge of prevention and treatment strategies for pandemic influenza and viral URIs; and rates of influenza vaccination among household members. When someone in the study has serious flu symptoms such as a high fever and cough or sore throat, we will also obtain a nasal culture (by swabbing the nose) to see if there is flu virus present.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Nov 2006
1 active site
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
Study Start
First participant enrolled
November 1, 2006
CompletedFirst Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
March 16, 2007
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
March 19, 2007
CompletedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
June 1, 2008
CompletedStudy Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
June 1, 2008
CompletedMay 5, 2026
April 1, 2026
1.6 years
March 16, 2007
April 30, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (3)
Rates of virologically confirmed influenza and influenza vaccination
Incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza based on nasal swab specimens analyzed by viral culture or PCR; vaccination rates assessed via participant report.
Throughout 19-month follow-up period
Rates of influenza-like symptoms
Incidence of ILI episodes defined using CDC criteria (fever ≥37.8°C with cough and/or sore throat).
Throughout 19-month follow-up period (symptoms reported at least twice weekly)
Knowledge and attitudes about influenza and the common cold and antibiotic use practices.
Change in knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) score based on a 10-item survey assessing understanding of transmission, prevention, and treatment.
Baseline and end of study (up to 19 months)
Study Arms (3)
Education (Control Group)
OTHERParticipants received written educational materials (English or Spanish) on prevention and treatment of upper respiratory infections (URIs) and influenza.
Education + Hand Sanitizer
OTHERParticipants received the same educational materials plus alcohol-based hand sanitizer (multiple sizes) for use at home, work, and school.
Education + Hand Sanitizer + Face Masks
OTHERParticipants received educational materials, hand sanitizer, and surgical face masks with instructions for use when a household member developed influenza-like illness (ILI).
Interventions
Educational materials (English or Spanish) on prevention and treatment of upper respiratory infections (URIs) and influenza.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer provided in multiple sizes for use at home, work, and school.
Surgical face masks with instructions for use when a household member develops influenza-like illness (ILI).
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if:
- Households with at least three members
- At least one preschool or elementary school-aged child in the household
- Residence in Northern Manhattan
- Ability to speak English or Spanish
- Access to a telephone
- Willingness to participate in regular symptom reporting and home visits
- Not routinely using alcohol-based hand sanitizer at baseline
You may not qualify if:
- Households with fewer than three members
- No preschool or elementary school-aged child in the household
- Inability to communicate in English or Spanish
- No access to a telephone
- Unwillingness or inability to comply with study procedures
- Routine use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer prior to enrollment
Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.
Sponsors & Collaborators
Study Sites (1)
Columbia University School of Nursing
New York, New York, 10032, United States
Related Publications (1)
Cohen B, Ferng YH, Wong-McLoughlin J, Jia H, Morse SS, Larson EL. Predictors of flu vaccination among urban Hispanic children and adults. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2012 Mar;66(3):204-9. doi: 10.1136/jech.2009.099879. Epub 2010 Sep 29.
PMID: 20881023DERIVED
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Interventions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Elaine Larson, RN,PhD
Columbia University School of Nursing
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- PARALLEL
- Sponsor Type
- FED
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
March 16, 2007
First Posted
March 19, 2007
Study Start
November 1, 2006
Primary Completion
June 1, 2008
Study Completion
June 1, 2008
Last Updated
May 5, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-04