A Mobile Text Messaging Intervention for Indoor Tanning Addiction

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test the effects of messages communicating the risks (i.e., health harms, addictiveness) of indoor tanning delivered via mobile text messaging among young adult women ages 18 to 30 years who meet screening criteria for indoor tanning addiction.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Prevention
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: March 31, 2022

Detailed Description

This is a two arm randomized controlled trial to test the effects of messages communicating the risks of indoor tanning delivered via mobile text messaging as a strategy for promoting cessation among young adult women who meet screening criteria for indoor tanning addiction. Eligible participants are young adult women ages 18 to 30 years who meet screening criteria for indoor tanning addiction and have access to the internet and a personal mobile phone to complete study procedures. Participants will complete baseline measures and then be randomized to the study arms. The text messaging intervention exposure in the intervention arm will last for four weeks. The control arm will be given basic indoor tanning education information and will not receive any intervention. Follow up assessments capturing study outcomes will be administered at 1 month (i.e., immediately post-intervention) and three months post-intervention.

Interventions

  • Behavioral: Mobile text messaging intervention
    • Participants in the intervention arm will receive text messages to their mobile phones designed to communicate the risks of indoor tanning and motivate cessation. The intervention exposure lasts for 4 weeks with messages sent 2 days each week. It is an interactive intervention that engages participants by asking them to respond to prompts, and sending indoor tanning message content in return on message days.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: Text messaging
    • Participants in the text messaging intervention arm receive mobile text messages communicating the risks of indoor tanning and motivating cessation on their mobile phones
  • No Intervention: Control
    • Participants in the control arm receive no intervention

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Motivation to Quit Indoor Tanning
    • Time Frame: 1 month follow up
    • Motivation to quit is measured by participant report by a single question with a 1 to 7 response scale. Higher scores indicate greater motivation to quit and are considered better outcomes. This question is administered at 1 month follow up and at 3 month follow up.
  • Indoor Tanning Cessation
    • Time Frame: 1 month follow up
    • Indoor tanning cessation is measured by participant report by a single question asking if participants have stopped indoor tanning completely. Responses indicating cessation are considered better outcomes. This item is administered at 1-month follow-up and at 3 month follow up.

Secondary Measures

  • Attempts to Quit Indoor Tanning
    • Time Frame: 1 month follow up and 3 month follow up
    • Attempts to quit indoor tanning are measured by participant report by a single question asking if participants have attempted to quit indoor tanning since the last assessment. Responses indicating any attempt(s) to quit are considered a better outcome. This item is administered at 1 month follow up and at 3 month follow up.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Female – Age between 18 and 30 years – Meet self-report criteria for tanning addiction – Has access to the internet to complete study procedures – Has personal mobile phone to complete study procedures Exclusion Criteria:

  • Male – Age less than 18 or greater than 30 – Does not meet self-report criteria for tanning addiction – Does not have access to the internet to complete study procedures – Does not have a personal mobile phone to complete study procedures

Gender Eligibility: Female

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 30 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: No

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Georgetown University
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Sponsor
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Darren Mays, PhD, MPH, Principal Investigator, Georgetown University

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