Firefighters Preventing Cancer Online Training Program

Trial Title: Firefighters Preventing Cancer Online Training Program

NCT ID: NCT05745246

Condition: Cancer Prevention

Conditions: Keywords:
Firefighter
Cancer
Decontamination
Exposure

Study type: Interventional

Study phase: N/A

Overall status: Recruiting

Study design:

Allocation: Randomized

Intervention model: Parallel Assignment

Intervention model description: This study is a two-arm, feasibility, Cluster Randomized Trial (CRT).

Primary purpose: Prevention

Masking: Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Masking description: Since this study is a Cluster Randomized Trial (CRT), first, Departments will be recruited and randomized to the treatment arm or the control arm, with a 1:1 allocation ratio stratified by region. The randomization sequence will be generated by a trained person that is not related to the study participants in any way. The investigators and study staff will be blinded to the randomization sequence until the end of the study. Participant randomization will be performed in REDCap. REDCap maintains an automated audit trail which includes the assigned study identification number, treatment allocation, and date and time of the allocation assignment. Once a department is recruited and assigned to a study group, all the members in that department will be assigned to the same group.

Intervention:

Intervention type: Behavioral
Intervention name: e-health training program
Description: 1. Health letters, 44 issues of 90SecondFire Cancer health letters delivered twice a week during six months to firefighters by text or email 2. A problem-solving asynchronous chat room which encourages mutual support and exchange of ideas via a closed asynchronous bulletin board for peer-to-peer support 3. A brief 45-minute pre-recorded online course; it is intended as a summative exercise rather than providing new information.
Arm group label: Intervention Group

Summary: The goal of this two-arm, Cluster Randomized Trial is to evaluate an e-health training program for volunteer firefighters to reduce their risk of exposures to carcinogens and to increase their understanding and intentions of behavior towards cancer prevention. One arm will receive an online e-health intervention for six months and the other arm will be considered as a waitlist control group which will be placed on a waitlist and receive the online treatment program some months later. The project aims to evaluate the firefighters by measurement of current behavior, perceived importance, future behavioral intentions and perceived barriers for implementing decontamination behaviors at baseline, after the intervention and after 3-month follow-up before and after the intervention. The intervention consists of three components: 1. a novel health information strategy, 90SecondFire Cancer health letters 2. a brief on-line course 3. a problem-solving asynchronous bulletin board to mobilize existing knowledge

Detailed description: Firefighters face a serious risk of exposure to carcinogens from products of combustion. Modern materials burn hotter and may be even more toxic than older wood construction. Preventing the increased risk of cancer in volunteer firefighters has raised attention as they are more vulnerable to carcinogen exposure. The goal of this two-arm, Cluster Randomized Trial is to evaluate an e-health training program for volunteer firefighters to reduce their risk of exposures to carcinogens and to increase their understanding and intentions of behavior towards cancer prevention. One arm will receive an online e-health intervention for six months and the other arm will be considered as a waitlist control group which will be placed on a waitlist and receive the online treatment program some months later. Up to 800 volunteer firefighters from approximately 40 volunteer fire departments in Canada will be recruited for both arms. The project aims to evaluate the firefighters by measurement of current behavior, perceived importance, future behavioral intentions and perceived barriers for implementing decontamination behaviors at baseline, after the intervention and after 3-month follow-up through an online validated survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale (FECS). The intervention consists of three components: 1. a novel health information strategy, 90SecondFire Cancer health letters 2. a brief on-line course 3. a problem-solving asynchronous bulletin board to mobilize existing knowledge

Criteria for eligibility:
Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria: Departments will be screened to meet the following criteria 1. Be a Volunteer Department 2. Be located in Canada 3. Consent to participate in the study via the Chief or delegate Participant in the CRT study must meet all the following criteria to be eligible to proceed with the study: 1. Be a volunteer firefighter 2. Working for an all-volunteer fire department that has joined the study 3. Live in Canada 4. Has access to internet 5. Be able to read, write and understand English or French 6. Consent to participate in the study Exclusion Criteria: The exclusion for Departments 1. Not a volunteer Department in other words to be a composite department with some volunteers and some career fire fighters or a department that has not joined the study 2. Not located in Canada 3. Not Consent to be in the study via the Chief or delegate Any of the following criteria will exclude individuals from proceeding to consent: 1. NOT a volunteer firefighter 2. Working for a composite department with some volunteers and some career fire fighters or a department that has not joined the study 3. Does NOT live in Canada 4. Does not have access to internet 5. Is NOT able to read, write and understand English or French 6. Does NOT consent to participate in the study

Gender: All

Minimum age: N/A

Maximum age: N/A

Healthy volunteers: No

Locations:

Facility:
Name: IWK Health Centre

Address:
City: Halifax
Country: Canada

Status: Recruiting

Contact:
Last name: Patrick McGrath, PhD

Start date: February 13, 2023

Completion date: December 20, 2024

Lead sponsor:
Agency: IWK Health Centre
Agency class: Other

Collaborator:
Agency: Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs
Agency class: Other

Collaborator:
Agency: Laval University
Agency class: Other

Source: IWK Health Centre

Record processing date: ClinicalTrials.gov processed this data on November 12, 2024

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov page: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05745246