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Rural Adult and Youth Sun Protection Program to Improve Sun Protective Behaviors in Rural Baseball Leagues
Trial Status: active
This clinical trial tests the impact of the Rural Adult and Youth Sun (RAYS) protection program on sun protective behaviors in rural baseball leagues. Skin cancer affects more than 5 million Americans yearly. Skin cancer can be prevented by limiting ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and avoiding sunburns during childhood. Children in rural and underserved (RAU) communities are at greater risk for skin cancer because they have more frequent and intense outdoor exposures to UVR and spend more time outdoors playing sports with limited sun protection. Behavioral interventions, such as RAYS, use techniques to help change the way people react to environmental triggers. RAYS may improve skin cancer prevention behaviors in young children in rural baseball leagues.
Inclusion Criteria
PARENT PARTICIPANTS: Adults who currently have children ages 3 and older years of age playing on participating sports teams in leagues serving rural areas in Utah or West Virginia (rural is defined as ≥ 4 by the rural-urban commuting area codes [RUCA] or Rurual-Urban Continuum Codes [RUCC] systems)
PARENT PARTICIPANTS: Live and/or work in rural communities in Utah or West Virginia ( ≥ 4 as defined by the RUCA or RUCC systems)
COACH/LEADER PARTICIPANT: Adults who serve as coaches or leaders of recreational sports (i.e. baseball/softball, soccer, flag football, etc.) teams or developmental programs serving children ages 3 and older
COACH/LEADER PARTICIPANT: Live and/or work in rural areas of Utah or West Virginia (rural is defined as ≥ 4 by the RUCA or RUCC systems)
MINOR PARTICIPANTS: Ages 3 and older
MINOR PARTICIPANTS: Live in rural communities and/or participate in sports leagues serving rural communities in Utah or West Virginia ( ≥ 4 as defined by the RUCA or RUCC systems)
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS: Adults who serve as leaders or who are affiliated with sports leagues or community groups serving rural youths and/or adults who currently have minor children 3 years of age or older playing on participating sports teams and/or adults who live and/or work in rural communities in Utah or West Virginia ( ≥ 4 as defined by the RUCA or RUCC systems)
KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS: Local sports leagues will be eligible to participate if they convene recreational sports (i.e. baseball/softball) teams or developmental programs (i.e. T-ball and coach pitch) for children ages 3 and older
Exclusion Criteria
Adults and children who do not speak or read English will be excluded
For individuals asked to complete surveys, individuals who have a medical or other condition (e.g., developmental delay) that would preclude their completion of these surveys will be excluded
Additional locations may be listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for NCT06439979.
I. Evaluate the efficacy of RAYS on the primary outcome of sun protection among RAU children.
II. Drawing from the Behavioral Ecological Model (BEM), examine multilevel parent, coach, team and league mechanisms by which RAYS impacts RAU youth sun protection.
III. Examine the influence of intervention fidelity and uptake on RAYS’ sun protection cognitions and child sun protection outcomes and explore dimensions of disadvantages as moderators in underserved rural communities.
OUTLINE: Baseball leagues are randomized to 1 of 2 condition arms. Participants are assigned to 1 of 2 conditions based on their teams arm assignment.
ARM I (RAYS): Coaches and parents receive training and participants receive education on the relevance of skin cancer to children and in the sports setting, skin cancer prevention recommendations, and strategies to promote use of sun protection during sports. Children receive a UVR bracelet, players and coaches receive a sun protective uniform and portable sunscreen dispensers on study. Coaches and parents receive ongoing messages about child sun protection. League leadership and sports coordinators are encouraged to reinforce sun safety. Leagues receive portable shade structures and sun safety banners to display at ball fields. The community receives sun safety messages via social media and flyers placed throughout the community.
ARM II (CONTROL): Coaches and parents receive training and participants receive education on general injury prevention principles for child athletes based on publicly-available resources such as Centers for Disease Control and American Academy of Pediatrics on study.
Trial PhaseNo phase specified
Trial Typeprevention
Lead OrganizationHuntsman Cancer Institute/University of Utah
