Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT04977700

Using Physical Tracking to Predict Sunburn

Recreational UV exposure is associated with every form of skin cancer and individuals who engage in more physical activity have a higher prevalence of sunburn, a proximal biomarker of melanoma risk, perhaps explaining why melanoma is the only cancer with which physical activity is positively correlated. Mobile technology for tracking physical activity has become increasingly prevalent and Strava, an activity tracking app and social networking site for athletes, is one of the most popular of these technologies. This research will test the feasibility of delivering location-based, ecologically-valid sun safety advice to Strava users at times when they are predicted to be engaged in outdoor physical activity, by utilizing Strava's public open-source Applications Programming Interface.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Prevention Behavior Motor Activity Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site Skin Diseases Skin Neoplasms Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Klein Buendel, Inc.

Golden, Colorado, 80401, United States

About this study

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Over 5.4 million cases of keratinocyte cancers (basal and squamous cell) are diagnosed annually and incidence of melanoma has increased 3% each year for the past 30 years. In the 2014 Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer, the U. S. Surgeon General included strategies for coordinating messages on sun safety and physical activity, recognizing the need for sun safety among populations that engage in physical activity outdoors. Recreational UV exposure is associated with every form of skin cancer; individuals who engage in more physical activity have a higher prevalence of sunburn. Melanoma is the only cancer with which physical activity is positively correlated. Strava, a tracking app and social networking site for athletes, is one of the most popular of mobile technologies for logging physical activity and providing social feedback on activities by other Strava users. The goal of this R21 research is to test the feasibility of interfacing with the Strava website and its mobile app to develop an algorithm that a) predicts when individuals are likely to be engaged in physical activity outdoors in the sun when ultraviolet radiation is high and b) delivers sun safety advice tailored to the time, location, and personal risk (e.g., skin sun sensitivity) of the Strava users. Concept focus groups with Strava users and non-users will provide input on the feasibility, content, and functions in the Strava Sun (SS) intervention. The algorithm that predicts future outdoor exercise will be developed using machine learning modeling on activity data provided by Strava users. The SS intervention will be programmed to deliver ecologically-valid sun safety advice through Strava's open-source Applications Programming Interface (API) via email and comments in the Strava interface. The sun safety advice will be tailored to location, time, season and user's personal risk, employing advice algorithms we developed for a sun safety mobile app, sunZapp, and a social media message library in our Go Sun Smart intervention for outdoor recreation resorts. SS will be tested for usability prior to conducting a pilot field trial to establish feasibility of SS in practice. The project is significant and innovative. A sun protection interface for the Strava platform will provide individuals who engage in regular physical activity personalized, ecologically-valid advice to help them practice sun safety during outdoor activities. It will contain a novel machine learning algorithm that predicts future high-risk behavior, i.e., outdoor physical activity, to provide precision prevention advice.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • 18 or older; reside in the United States; read/write in English; upload outdoor activity to Strava ≥3 times per week

Exclusion criteria

  • Younger than 18; reside outside of the United States; read/write in a language other than English; uploads Strava activity less than 3 times per week OR does not use Strava; having a cognitive or visual impairment that would interfere with participating; having another family member participating in the research; having participated in the focus group and usability testing

Treatment and study plan

Intervention Group

Behavioral

Test the developed algorithm that delivers location-based, tailored sun safety advice to Strava users through Strava comments for acceptability, ways of interacting with it, and barriers/willingness to allowing access.

Primary outcomes

  1. Prevalence of Sun Protection Practices

    Time frame: baseline and four-weeks post intervention

    What proportion of 8 sun protection practices did participants do on reported days of exercise. Participants responded to 8 potential sun protection practices and provided the number of days they did each practice within the timeframe provided (3 months at baseline; 4 weeks at posttest). Participants also provided number of days of outdoor exercises within timeframe. Proportion was calculated by dividing the frequency of each sun protection practice by the number of days of outdoor exercise within the timeframe. Mean score of all sun protection practices per day of outdoor exercise is reported. Range = 0-1, where a higher number indicates more sun safety practices performed. A proportion was used to account for different timeframes at baseline and posttest.

  2. Prevalence of Sunburn

    Time frame: Baseline

    Participants were asked if their skin was sunburned (described as being red and/or painful from exposure to the sun) in the past three months, and if so, how many times.

  3. Prevalence of Sunburn

    Time frame: four-weeks post intervention

    Participants were asked if their skin was sunburned (described as being red and/or painful from exposure to the sun) in the past four weeks, and if so, how many times.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Physical Activity (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire)

    Time frame: Baseline

    Duration in minutes of exercise multiplied by number of times per week, in the past 7 days. Total minutes per week calculated; mean per treatment group reported.

  2. Physical Activity (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire)

    Time frame: four-weeks post intervention

    Duration in minutes of exercise multiplied by number of times per week, in the past 7 days. Total minutes per week calculated; mean per treatment group reported.

  3. Recall of Sun Protection Messages

    Time frame: four weeks post intervention

    Participants in intervention only were asked about how many messages they read. Scale ranges from 0 - 3. 0 = none of the messages; 1 = some of the messages; 2 = most of the messages; 3 = all of the messages. Higher score indicates higher message recall.

  4. Self-Efficacy for Sun Protection When Exercising

    Time frame: baseline and four-weeks post intervention

    Participants were asked: how confident are you that you can practice sun safety next time that you exercise. 1 = not confident; 2 = a little confident; 3 = somewhat confident; 4 = very confident. Higher scores indicates more self-efficacy for sun safety.

  5. Range of Physical Activity (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire)

    Time frame: baseline

    Duration in minutes of exercise multiplied by number of times per week, in the past 7 days. Total minutes per week calculated; mean per treatment group reported.

  6. Range of Physical Activity (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire)

    Time frame: four weeks post-intervention

    Duration in minutes of exercise multiplied by number of times per week, in the past 7 days. Total minutes per week calculated; mean per treatment group reported.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Klein Buendel, Inc.

Industry

Collaborators

  • Colorado State University
  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Official study title

Using Retrospective and Real-Time Physical Activity Tracking to Predict Risk of Sunburn in Outdoor Exercisers on Strava

Important dates

Study start
2020
Primary completion
2023
Study completion
2023
First posted
Jul 27, 2021
Registry last updated
Nov 13, 2023

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.