Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Cancer Prevention Behaviours in Underserved Populations

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The goal of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal is to be a trustworthy source for health information. The Portal team can see (through measuring analytics of website use) that thousands of people are using the Portal and the knowledge-sharing strategies in place (email alerts, Twitter and Facebook), with many more users added each month. Previous studies have measured the quality and trustworthiness of health information available online; others have studied the numbers and populations who use different types of information and how easy it is to use and understand. This study builds on that knowledge to find out: if easy-to-understand evidence-based messages reach members of the public, do these messages change what people know and think to do to stay healthy (in this case, what they know and think to do to lower their risk of cancer)?

Detailed Description
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Half of cancers are preventable through lifestyle modification such as smoking cessation, healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing alcohol intake; however, few Canadians engage in behaviours that are in line with cancer prevention guidelines. This may be in part due to lack of access to evidence-based information and the mixed messages on effective cancer prevention strategies that are propagated in the popular media. The McMaster Optimal Aging Portal (the Portal) is a knowledge translation (KT) tool launched in 2014 to increase public access to trustworthy health information. Citizen-friendly content (blog posts, evidence summaries, web resource ratings) provide easy-to-read 'bottom line' messages appropriate for all audiences. Investigators would now like to know if and how KT strategies used to disseminate citizen-targeted information on cancer prevention impact knowledge, behavioural intentions and health behaviours of Canadian adults. This study will use a sequential mixed-methods design consisting of a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a qualitative process study to explore RCT findings in depth. This formative approach will allow for a deeper analysis of the outcomes of interest (knowledge, intentions and behaviours), and the KT process. Following baseline data collection, eligible participants will be randomized to a 12-week intervention or control group. During the intervention, participants will have access to the Portal, be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed, and receive tailored weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries on cancer prevention. Control group participants will have access the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion, but will not receive KT strategies.

Official Title
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Evaluating the Impact of the McMaster Optimal Aging Portal on Knowledge, Behavioural Intentions and Health Behaviours Related to Cancer Risk in Underserved Populations.

Conditions
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Cancer

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Tailored knowledge translation


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: English speaking Exclusion Criteria: Previous cancer diagnosis

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 40 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Tailored knowledge translation<br>During the 12-week intervention, intervention group participants will have access to the Portal and will receive targeted weekly email alerts including blog posts and evidence summaries relevant to cancer prevention and be invited to follow a Twitter and Facebook feed; a unique hashtag will be created to identify and collate relevant cancer prevention information. | Behavioral: Tailored knowledge translation<br>* Tailored knowledge translation strategies specific to evidence-based cancer prevention recommendations<br>|
| No Intervention: Control<br>Participants in the control group will have access to the Portal in a 'self-serve' fashion. These participants will be able to browse the Portal, subscribe to email alerts, follow social media, etc. but will not receive the tailored intervention. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Website engagement | Number of clicks | 12 weeks | 
| Email engagement | Number of clicks | 12 weeks | 
| Social media engagement | Number of clicks | 12 weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowledge questionnaire | Participants knowledge of cancer prevention recommendations and guidelines | 12 weeks, 3-months post-intervention | 
| Beliefs questionnaire | Participants beliefs about the importance of lifestyle in prevention cancer | 12 weeks, 3-months post-intervention | 
| Intentions questionnaire | Participants intentions to engage in lifestyle behaviours in line with cancer prevention guidelines | 12 weeks, 3-months post-intervention | 
| Godin leisure time exercise questionnaire | Physical activity | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Dietary Screener Questionnaire | Dietary intake | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Tobacco Questions for Surveys, World Health Organization | Current smoking behaviour | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Seven-day recall alcohol | Alcohol intake | 12 weeks, 3 months post-intervention | 
| Participant satisfaction | Collected using qualitative interviews | 12 weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Cancer prevention, Knowledge translation, Physical activity, Diet, Alcohol, Smoking