A Youth-led Intervention to Reduce Healthcare Disparities in Cancer Screening

NCT07008781 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Pro2025000586
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 84
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study engages youth as health advocates to increase cancer screening in their community. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of a youth-led intervention on cancer screening awareness in adults who are overdue for cancer screening.

Conditions

Cancer

Keywords

cancer screening; adolescents; high school; community-based research; community health; Hispanic/Latino community

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Rate of Cancer Screening

  % of adults who schedule or conduct cancer screening 2 weeks post-intervention

  2 weeks post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Change in Cancer Screening Knowledge- Adult

  Baseline and 3 days later

• Change in Cancer Screening Knowledge- Youth

  Baseline and after intervention ends

• Change in Youth Self-Efficacy

  Baseline and after intervention ends

• Change in Adult Activation

  Baseline and 3 days later

• Proportion of adults who are overdue for each cancer type

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

Youth-led cancer screening intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

High school students will be trained as health advocates and then facilitate discussions about cancer screening recommendations and risk factors with adults in their community. High school students (15-18 years old) from the local community will be recruited for this study, and each student will recruit adults that they live with or are part of their community (i.e. parent) who are eligible for cancer screening. The adult plus youth dyads will all undergo the same youth-led intervention in which the youth will utilize motivational interviewing to discuss cancer screening recommendations and risk factors with their adults and help their adults enroll in cancer screening through ScreenNJ, a community organization that aims to increase cancer screening in New Jersey, reduce cancer mortality rates, and reduce disparities.

Behavioral: Youth-led cancer screening intervention

Interventions

Youth-led cancer screening intervention BEHAVIORAL

High school students will be trained as health advocates and then facilitate discussions about cancer screening recommendations and risk factors with adults in their community. High school students (15-18 years old) from the local community will be recruited for this study, and each student will recruit adults that they live with or are part of their community (i.e. parent) who are eligible for cancer screening. The adult plus youth dyads will all undergo the same youth-led intervention in which the youth will utilize motivational interviewing to discuss cancer screening recommendations and risk factors with their adults and help their adults enroll in cancer screening through ScreenNJ, a community organization that aims to increase cancer screening in New Jersey, reduce cancer mortality rates, and reduce disparities.

Youth-led cancer screening intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 80 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Student at New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School (15-18 years) and their adult family members (18+ years old) who are NJ residents.
• Adults must be eligible for at least one cancer screening other than skin (see below).
• Participants must be fluent in either English or Spanish and the youth must speak the same language as the adult.
• Breast: 40-74 year old women Cervical: 21-65 year old women with a cervix (have not had a hysterectomy) Colorectal: 45-75 year olds Prostate: 50 to 69 year old men (start at 45 for black males) Lung: 50 to 80 year olds who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years
• Overall:
• year old women 45-75 year old men 76-80 year olds who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years

You may not qualify if:

• Students less than 15 years old.
• Adults not eligible for a cancer screening of interest.
• Unable to speak fluent English or Spanish.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: lead

Study Sites (1)

New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Neoplasms

Central Study Contacts

Sara Heinert, PhD, MPH

CONTACT

732-235-7872; sara.heinert@rutgers.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 5, 2025
• First Posted: June 6, 2025
• Study Start: May 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)