Clinical trial NCT01591213: St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program: The Feasibility of Teacher Delivery (Pilot Study)
Official title: St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program: The Feasibility of Teacher Delivery (Pilot Study)
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Conditions: Healthy
Keywords: Cancer education
Prevention education
Volunteers
Lead sponsor: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2012-05-03
Enrollment: 426
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 8
Maximum age (years): 11
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Fourth grade students enrolled in Memphis-area schools.

Brief summary: -The St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program was created in 2006 as part of the outreach mandate of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The curriculum is designed to teach schoolchildren about cancer and dispel common misconceptions, inform students about healthy lifestyle choices that can translate to reduced cancer risk in adulthood, and to inspire an interest in science and scientific careers. In the 2010-2011 school year, researchers examined the impact of the program in regard to knowledge.

It has always been clear that St. Jude personnel are limited to visiting a small number of schools in person each year so in 2011, a teacher's kit to the education program was created. The kit includes all the lesson plans needed to complete the program without the presence of St. Jude staff members. As a result, researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital want to test the feasibility of the intervention by schoolteachers, and how this mechanism of delivery will affect student knowledge, attitudes, and health behaviors associated with cancer and healthy living.

Detailed description: Teachers who agree to participate will use the teacher's kit developed by the St. Jude International Outreach Program to deliver the St. Jude Cancer Education for Children curriculum to 4th grade students over the course of 1 week. Pre and post survey data will be collected from students to measure knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions of vulnerability, intentions, and behaviors associated with cancer and healthy living. Rates of compliance and feedback about the curriculum will be collected from teachers via curriculum checklist, survey, and interviews.

Primary Objective:

* To determine if it is feasible for classroom teachers to implement the St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program.

Secondary/Exploratory Objectives:

* To determine factors that may contribute to the program's feasibility such as school and teacher characteristics.
* To measure the impact of the intervention on student knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions of vulnerability, intentions, and self-reported health behaviors.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Located in the United States or United States territories
* District \& school provide permission
* 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade student with cognitive capacity to complete questionnaires (as determined by the teacher)
* Assents to study participation

Exclusion Criteria:

* Located outside of the United States or United States territories
* Student does not assent to participation
* Student without cognitive capacity to complete questionnaires (as determined by the teacher)
* Parent or guardian refuses consent

Primary outcomes:
measure: Rate of compliance
timeFrame: 1 week (at end of three teaching modules)
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Memphis
country: United States
facility: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
state: Tennessee
Study officials:
affiliation: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
name: Katherine Ayers, MS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: