Using Middle School Science Teachers to Address Cancer Health Disparities

Conditions

• Cancer Prevention
• Cancer Risk Factors

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

10 Years - N/A

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• CARES4You Curriculum — BEHAVIORAL
  CARES4You is a teacher-delivered middle school science curriculum focused on cancer risk and prevention. Public middle schools in New York City self-select into either an immediate-intervention group or a delayed-intervention group. In both groups, grade-level science teachers deliver the same curriculum during regular 50-minute science classes over approximately five weeks. The program includes six units delivered across 14 lessons, typically taught 4-5 days per week. Units cover Cancer Genetics, Cancer Epidemiology, Media Literacy and Tobacco Advertising, Nutrition and Cancer, Biotechnology and Cancer, and Cancer Risk Reduction. Lessons combine brief instruction with interactive activities such as identifying cancer risk factors and discussing ways families can reduce risk. Students also complete a final cumulative project.

Study Details

The CARES4You study is testing a middle school science curriculum designed to teach students about cancer risk and prevention. The lessons are taught by regular science teachers during class time and are aligned with national science education standards. The curriculum includes six units (14 lessons) that help students learn about cancer, understand how lifestyle and environmental factors influence risk, and think about ways to make healthy choices. The study will take place in 10 public middle schools in New York City. Some schools will begin using the CARES4You curriculum right away, while others will continue with their usual science lessons and receive the program later. Researchers will compare the two groups of schools. The main goal of the study is to see whether the curriculum increases students' intentions to engage in healthy behaviors that may reduce cancer risk. The study will also examine whether students talk more with their caregivers about cancer risk and prevention after participating in the program. Caregivers may also report on some health behaviors in the household. If the program is effective, CARES4You could provide schools with a practical and sustainable way to teach cancer prevention and promote healthy behaviors among adolescents and their families.

Key Dates

Start date

Jan 29, 2026

Status verified

Mar 2026

Primary completion

Jun 30, 2028

Completion

Jun 30, 2028

Study Design

Enrollment

1,812 participants (estimated)

Allocation

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Arms

• Experimental: Immediate Intervention Delivery
  Students in the immediate intervention group will receive the CARES4You curriculum as part of their regular science class. They will complete study assessments before the curriculum begins (baseline) and again approximately six weeks later, after the curriculum has been delivered. Caregivers will complete a one-time survey about cancer risk communication in the household and their own health behaviors approximately two weeks after the curriculum has been completed in their child's classroom.
• Placebo Comparator: Delayed Intervention Delivery
  Schools assigned to the delayed intervention group will continue with their usual science curriculum during the initial study period. Students will complete the same study assessments as the intervention group at baseline and approximately six weeks later. After completion of the follow-up assessments, these schools will implement the CARES4You curriculum the following semester or academic year.

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in students' intention to engage in health-promoting behaviors following the completion of the curriculum. [ Time Frame: Baseline, End of Study (6 weeks) ]

Central Contacts

• Rosio Ramos, BA
  646 962 5037
  [email protected]
• Alia Komsany, PhD
  646-962-5036
  [email protected]

Locations (5)

Find similar trials in Brooklyn, NY

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