Pragmatic Mobile Health Trial to Promote Cancer Screening and Healthy Behaviors

NCT07725328 | Enrolling By Invitation

• 1 other identifier: 2024-4448
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 2,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Singapore, but many people who are eligible for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening do not get screened on time. Many adults also have chronic health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity, which can often be reduced through healthier lifestyle habits. Although reminders for screening are available, they may not be enough to encourage long-term healthy behaviours. This study will evaluate whether regular health messages delivered through a mobile health (mHealth) platform can help improve cancer screening participation and promote healthier lifestyles among Singaporean women aged 50-69 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group will receive standard cancer screening reminders every six months. The intervention group will receive monthly evidence-based health messages, including information on cancer screening, healthy eating, physical activity, and other healthy lifestyle behaviours, delivered through the NUHS App (or a similar mobile platform) or SMS. The study will compare whether more frequent and engaging health messages lead to higher participation in recommended cancer screening, greater engagement with the digital platform, and healthier lifestyle behaviours compared with standard reminders. The findings may help identify an effective and scalable digital approach to support cancer prevention and healthy ageing across Singapore.

Conditions

Cancer Screening; Early Cancer Detection; Mammography; Fecal Immunochemical Test; Colonoscopy; HPV Testing; Chronic Diseases in Older Adults

Keywords

Mobile health technology (mhealth); Healthy lifestyle behaviour; Behaviour intervention; Sustained engagement; Early cancer detection; Cancer screening; Behavioral intervention

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Comparison of Screen-Adherent Participants Between Arm 1 and Arm 2

  Proportion of screen-adherent participants (in %) in Arm-2 versus Arm-1 at 24 months. Non-adherence at baseline is defined as not being fully adherent to screening guidelines for all three cancers (with cervical cancer screening excluded for those not sexually active). Adherence following the intervention is defined as showing at least one improvement in adherence (e.g., previously adherent to only cervical cancer screening, with subsequent adherence to colorectal cancer screening).

  24 months post-intervention

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Proportion of participants with BMI in the healthy range

  24 months post-intervention

• Proportion of participants achieving a daily goal of 10,000 steps

  24 months post-intervention

• Proportion of participants with recommended moderate-intensity aerobic activity

  24 months post-intervention

• Proportion of participants eating recommended servings of fruits/vegetables daily at 24 months

  24 months post-intervention

Study Arms (2)

Standard Messaging Arm (Arm 1)

OTHER

Participants receive standard cancer screening reminders through the NUHS App or SMS according to usual practice.

Behavioral: Standard Engagement

Intensive Engagement Arm (Arm 2)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive regular evidence-based health messages through the NUHS App or SMS to promote cancer screening and healthy lifestyle.

Behavioral: Intensive Engagement

Interventions

Intensive Engagement BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive the standard bi-annual health messages as in Arm 1, supplemented with additional monthly messages through PN via the app OR via SMS, that provide comprehensive information on general population cancer screening guidelines, healthy lifestyle practices, motivational health messages, video links, and details about relevant events over a period of 12 months. In addition to the monthly messages, participants will be invited to attend up to 12 webinars (on women's health/screening/nutrition/lifestyle related topics) and 12 in-person or virtual group events (like simple low-intensity exercise/ walking/ basic yoga/ tai chi/nutritional cooking etc.) over 12 months. Interested participants may also be asked to join a moderated chatgroup (using Telegram app). The chatgroup is intended to promote peer support and healthy habit building.

Intensive Engagement Arm (Arm 2)

Standard Engagement BEHAVIORAL

Participants receive two standard health messages through PN via the NUHS app or similar platforms OR via SMS - one at recruitment and a subsequent reminder message after 6 months. The content will include general population cancer screening guidelines (breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers) and information pertaining to healthy lifestyle practices (including maintaining a healthy BMI, balanced diet, and sufficient exercise).

Standard Messaging Arm (Arm 1)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years - 69 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• If using app for message delivery: Registered NUHS App users or HealthHub App users OR if using SMS for message delivery: Participants must have a mobile number recorded in electronic medical records (EPIC).
• Female
• Singapore citizen
• Aged 50-69 years
• With or without prior diagnosis of cancer

You may not qualify if:

• Participants unable to provide informed consent and take surveys, such as those with cognitive impairments or severe mental health conditions.
• Participants with terminal illness or serious comorbidities that preclude them from participating in preventive health programs.
• Pregnant women: Given the target age group (50-69 years), the prevalence of pregnancy is expected to be extremely low.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National University Hospital, Singapore: lead

Study Sites (1)

National University Hospital Singapore

Singapore, Singapore

Location

Study Officials

• Soo-Chin Lee, MBBS, MRCP

  National University Hospital, Singapore

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: SCREENING
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 21, 2026
• First Posted: July 24, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 31, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2028
• Last Updated: July 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

SG (1)