Clinical trial NCT06939699: Social Media-Based Education on Cancer Screening Awareness in Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Official title: The Effect of Social Media-Based Education on Women's Knowledge, Attitudes, and Health Literacy Regarding Cancer Screenings: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Cervical Cancer Screening
Breast Cancer Screening
Colorectal Cancer Screening
Digital Health Literacy
Keywords: internet based intervention
cancer screening
social media
health literacy
education
Lead sponsor: Saglik Bilimleri Universitesi
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Şerife Çınar
First posted: 2025-04-23
Enrollment: 132
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 30
Maximum age (years): 70
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two parallel groups: the social media-based education group or the standard online education group.
Primary purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Brief summary: This randomized controlled trial investigates the impact of a social media-based educational program on women's knowledge, attitudes, and digital health literacy regarding breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings. The intervention is based on the Socio-Ecological Model and aims to improve awareness and screening participation. Participants in the intervention group receive daily educational content for 8 weeks via social media platforms (WhatsApp/Instagram), while the control group receives two standard online education sessions via Microsoft Teams app. The study includes 132 women aged 30 to 70 in Türkiye who have not previously participated in cancer screenings. The primary outcomes include changes in cancer knowledge, attitudes, and digital health literacy levels measured by validated scales.

Detailed description: This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the effect of a social media-based educational intervention on women's knowledge, attitudes, and digital health literacy regarding cancer screenings. The trial will include 132 women between the ages of 30 and 70 who have never undergone breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer screening. Participants are recruited through health institutions and randomized into two parallel groups: the intervention group and the control group.

The educational intervention was developed in accordance with the Socio-Ecological Model (SEM), incorporating individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy-level messages. The intervention group receives 56 infographics and/or videos total over 8 weeks via closed WhatsApp and Instagram groups. The content includes evidence-based information on cancer epidemiology, risk factors, symptoms, screening methods, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and digital health tools such as e-Nabız and MHRS.

The control group receives traditional education via two 40-minute online sessions (1 week apart), covering the same content without daily engagement. The outcomes will be measured using validated instruments to assess changes in participants' knowledge of cancer screenings, their attitudes towards screening, and their digital health literacy. Data collection will take place before and after the intervention period. The study has been approved by the Istanbul Medipol University Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: E-10840098-202.3.02-7880).

This research is expected to contribute to public health strategies that use digital platforms to enhance cancer screening behaviors and improve health literacy among women.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Female participants aged 30 to 70 years
* Use Instagram and/or WhatsApp actively
* Literate and able to complete online forms
* Voluntarily consent to participate

Exclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosed with any type of cancer
* Have undergone previous cancer screening

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in Cancer Screening Knowledge Score
timeFrame: Baseline and 4 weeks after the intervention
measure: Change in Attitudes Toward Cancer Screening
timeFrame: Baseline and 4 weeks after the intervention
measure: Change in Digital Health Literacy Level
timeFrame: Baseline and 4 weeks after the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Istanbul
country: Turkey
facility: Medipol Mega University Hospital
Study officials:
affiliation: Health Science University
name: Şerife Çınar, phD candidate midwife
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: