RESUMO
Importance: Because exposure to UV radiation early in life is an important risk factor for melanoma development, reducing UV exposure in children and adolescents is of paramount importance. New interventions are urgently required. Objective: To determine the effect of the free face-aging mobile app Sunface on the skin cancer protection behavior of adolescents. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cluster-randomized clinical trial included a single intervention and a 6-month follow-up from February 1 to November 30, 2018. Randomization was performed on the class level in 52 school classes within 8 public secondary schools (grades 9-12) in Itauna, Southeast Brazil. Data were analyzed from May 1 to October 10, 2019. Interventions: In a classroom seminar delivered by medical students, adolescents' selfies were altered by the app to show UV effects on their future faces and were shown in front of their class, accompanied by information about UV protection. Information about relevant parameters was collected via anonymous questionnaires before and 3 and 6 months after the intervention. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point of the study was the difference in daily sunscreen use at 6 months of follow-up. Secondary end points included the difference in daily sunscreen use at 3 months of follow-up, at least 1 skin self-examination within 6 months, and at least 1 tanning session in the preceding 30 days. All analyses were predefined and based on intention to treat. Cluster effects were taken into account. Results: Participants included 1573 pupils (812 girls [51.6%] and 761 boys [48.4%]; mean [SD] age, 15.9 [1.3] years) from 52 school classes. Daily sunscreen use increased from 110 of 734 pupils (15.0%) to 139 of 607 (22.9%; P < .001) at the 6-month follow-up in the intervention group. The proportion of pupils performing at least 1 skin self-examination in the intervention group rose from 184 of 734 (25.1%) to 300 of 607 (49.4%; P < .001). Use of tanning decreased from 138 of 734 pupils (18.8%) to 92 of 607 (15.2%; P = .04). No significant changes were observed in the control group. The intervention was more effective for female students (number needed to treat for the primary end point: 8 for girls and 31 for boys). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that interventions based on face-aging apps may increase skin cancer protection behavior in Brazilian adolescents. Further studies are required to maximize the effect and to investigate the generalizability of the effects. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03178240.
Assuntos
Aplicativos Móveis , Autoexame/estatística & dados numéricos , Envelhecimento da Pele/efeitos da radiação , Neoplasias Cutâneas/prevenção & controle , Pele , Protetores Solares/uso terapêutico , Adolescente , Brasil , Face/efeitos da radiação , Feminino , Seguimentos , Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Instituições Acadêmicas , Fatores Sexuais , Banho de Sol/estatística & dados numéricos , Inquéritos e Questionários , Fatores de Tempo , Raios Ultravioleta/efeitos adversosRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Most smokers start smoking during their early adolescence, often with the idea that smoking is glamorous; the dramatic health consequences are too far in the future to fathom. We recently designed and tested an intervention that takes advantage of the broad availability of mobile phones as well as adolescents' interest in their appearance. A free photoageing mobile app (Smokerface) was implemented by medical students in secondary schools via a novel method called mirroring. The pupils' altered three-dimensional selfies on tablets were 'mirrored' via a projector in front of their whole grade. This is the first randomised trial to measure the effectiveness of the mirroring approach on smoking behaviour in secondary schools. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The mirroring intervention, which lasts 45 min, is implemented by Brazilian medical students in at least 35 secondary school classes with 21 participants each (at least 35 classes with 21 participants for control) in February 2018 in the city of Itauna, Brazil. External block randomisation via computer is performed on the class level with a 1:1 allocation. In addition to sociodemographic data, smoking behaviour is measured via a paper-pencil questionnaire before, 3 and 6 months postintervention plus a random carbon monoxide breathing test at baseline and end line. The primary outcome is cigarette smoking in the past week at 6 months follow-up. Smoking behaviour (smoking onset, quitting) and effects on the different genders are studied as secondary outcomes. Analysis is by intention to treat. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is obtained from the ethics committee of the University of Itauna in Brazil. Results will be disseminated at conferences, in peer-reviewed journals, throughout the Education Against Tobacco network social media channels and on our websites. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03178227.