Firefighters Preventing Cancer Online Training Program

Cancer Prevention Clinical Trial

Official title:

Firefighters Preventing Cancer: Cluster Randomized Trial of an Online Training Program for Cancer Prevention Behaviors in Volunteer Firefighters

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Recruiting

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT05745246
• Other study ID #: 1028192
• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 13, 2023
• Est. completion date: December 20, 2024

Study information

• Verified date: March 2024
• Source: IWK Health Centre
• Contact: Patrick McGrath, PhD
• Phone: 9022290898
• Email: patrick.mcgrath[@]iwk.nshealth.ca
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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

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

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Recruiting
• Enrollment: 800
• Est. completion date: December 20, 2024
• Est. primary completion date: October 30, 2024
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: N/A and older

Eligibility

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

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cancer Prevention

Intervention

Behavioral:
• e-health training program
Health letters, 44 issues of 90SecondFire Cancer health letters delivered twice a week during six months to firefighters by text or email 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 A brief 45-minute pre-recorded online course; it is intended as a summative exercise rather than providing new information.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Canada	IWK Health Centre	Halifax	Nova Scotia

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
IWK Health Centre	Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, Laval University

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Canada, 

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Volunteer Firefighters' Intention to engage in reducing exposure and undertaking decontamination behaviour	In order to measure the changes in firefighter's intention during the study, the data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale. The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up
Secondary	Volunteer Firefighters' practice and perceived importance towards reducing exposure and undertaking decontamination behavior for cancer prevention	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up
Secondary	Volunteer firefighters' and their departments' perceived barriers in the development of reducing exposure and undertaking decontamination behaviors	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up
Secondary	Comparing and detecting any association between the regular volunteer firefighters and the management team towards cancer prevention	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up
Secondary	Comparing characteristics of different volunteer Departments (Clusters) such as size and location of Department in terms of their future intention, current practice and perceived importance towards cancer prevention	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up