A randomised controlled trial of the effect of providing online risk information and lifestyle advice for the most common preventable cancers

ABSTRACT: Background and study aims Previous research has shown that providing cancer risk information to people can improve their understanding of their risk of cancer, increase their intention to attend cancer screening, and increase their fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. A risk calculator has been developed and tested based on modifiable behavioural risk factors, such as weight and smoking, which estimates the risk of an individual developing one of the five most common preventable cancers in the UK over a 10-year period. These cancers are lung, bowel, bladder, kidney and oesophageal cancer for men and breast, lung, bowel, endometrial and kidney cancer for women). Alongside 66 healthcare professionals who have taken part in focus groups and interviews, a web-based tool has been developed which allows people to enter details of their current lifestyle and then see their estimated risk of developing one of the cancers over the next 10 years, the effect changes in their lifestyle would make on that risk, and lifestyle advice. The aim of this study is to use that web-based tool to test whether people given their personalised cancer risk estimate in combination with lifestyle advice are more motivated to make changes in their behaviour than people given lifestyle advice alone. The study also compares different ways of presenting the risk information. Who can participate? Men and women aged 30-74 who do not have a past history of cancer What does the study involve? Participants answer a set of questions about their diet, lifestyle and beliefs about their risk of cancer. They are then randomly allocated to be presented with their personalised 10-year cancer risk and lifestyle advice, or go straight to the lifestyle advice without seeing their personalised risk. The cancer risk is presented in one of three formats. The first format is a bar chart, the second format is pictures of either 1000 or 100 faces depending on the individual's estimated risk, and the third format is a bar with a scale from below average to above average with arrows. Participants then answer a further set of questions about their thoughts about their risk of cancer and motivation to make lifestyle change. They are then asked if they agree to take part in a follow-up task 3 months later where they answer a similar set of questions to check how their lifestyle and ideas about cancer risk have changed with time. After completing that task, if they are one of the people who did not see their personalised risk in the first task, they are offered the opportunity to see it then.

DISEASE(S): Lifestyle Behaviours That Influence Risk Of The Five Most Common Preventable Cancers In The Uk (lung,Colorectal,Lung,Bladder,Endometrial And Kidney For Women),Kidney And Oesophageal For Men And Breast

PROVIDER: 2412635 | ecrin-mdr-crc |

REPOSITORIES: ECRIN MDR