Firefighters Preventing Cancer Online Training Program

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Cancer Prevention
• Interventions: Behavioral: e-health training program

• Registration Number: NCT05745246
• Lead Sponsor: IWK Health Centre

Brief Summary

The goal of this two-arm, Cluster Randomized Trial is to evaluate an e-health training program for volunteer firefighters to reduce their risk of exposures to carcinogens and to increase their understanding and intentions of behavior towards cancer prevention. One arm will receive an online e-health intervention for six months and the other arm will be considered as a waitlist control group which will be placed on a waitlist and receive the online treatment program some months later.

The project aims to evaluate the firefighters by measurement of current behavior, perceived importance, future behavioral intentions and perceived barriers for implementing decontamination behaviors at baseline, after the intervention and after 3-month follow-up before and after the intervention.

The intervention consists of three components:

1. a novel health information strategy, 90SecondFire Cancer health letters

2. a brief on-line course

3. a problem-solving asynchronous bulletin board to mobilize existing knowledge

Detailed Description

Firefighters face a serious risk of exposure to carcinogens from products of combustion. Modern materials burn hotter and may be even more toxic than older wood construction. Preventing the increased risk of cancer in volunteer firefighters has raised attention as they are more vulnerable to carcinogen exposure.

The goal of this two-arm, Cluster Randomized Trial is to evaluate an e-health training program for volunteer firefighters to reduce their risk of exposures to carcinogens and to increase their understanding and intentions of behavior towards cancer prevention. One arm will receive an online e-health intervention for six months and the other arm will be considered as a waitlist control group which will be placed on a waitlist and receive the online treatment program some months later. Up to 800 volunteer firefighters from approximately 40 volunteer fire departments in Canada will be recruited for both arms.

The project aims to evaluate the firefighters by measurement of current behavior, perceived importance, future behavioral intentions and perceived barriers for implementing decontamination behaviors at baseline, after the intervention and after 3-month follow-up through an online validated survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale (FECS).

The intervention consists of three components:

1. a novel health information strategy, 90SecondFire Cancer health letters

2. a brief on-line course

3. a problem-solving asynchronous bulletin board to mobilize existing knowledge

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-02-13
• Study First Submitted: 2023-02-16
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-02-16
• Study First Posted: 2023-02-27
• Primary Completion: 2024-10-30
• Status Verified: 2025-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-01-20
• Last Update Posted: 2025-01-22
• Study Completion: 2025-06-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 179

Inclusion Criteria

Departments will be screened to meet the following criteria

1. Be a Volunteer Department
2. Be located in Canada
3. Consent to participate in the study via the Chief or delegate

Participant in the CRT study must meet all the following criteria to be eligible to proceed with the study:

1. Be a volunteer firefighter
2. Working for an all-volunteer fire department that has joined the study
3. Live in Canada
4. Has access to internet
5. Be able to read, write and understand English or French
6. Consent to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria

The exclusion for Departments

1. Not a volunteer Department in other words to be a composite department with some volunteers and some career fire fighters or a department that has not joined the study
2. Not located in Canada
3. Not Consent to be in the study via the Chief or delegate

Any of the following criteria will exclude individuals from proceeding to consent:

1. NOT a volunteer firefighter
2. Working for a composite department with some volunteers and some career fire fighters or a department that has not joined the study
3. Does NOT live in Canada
4. Does not have access to internet
5. Is NOT able to read, write and understand English or French
6. Does NOT consent to participate in the study

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intervention Group	e-health training program	This arm will receive the online e-health intervention for six months. The intervention consists of three sections: 1. a novel health information strategy, 90SecondFire Cancer health letters 2. a brief on-line course 3. a problem-solving asynchronous bulletin board to mobilize existing knowledge

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Volunteer Firefighters' Intention to engage in reducing exposure and undertaking decontamination behaviour	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up	In order to measure the changes in firefighter's intention during the study, the data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale. The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Volunteer Firefighters' practice and perceived importance towards reducing exposure and undertaking decontamination behavior for cancer prevention	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.
Comparing and detecting any association between the regular volunteer firefighters and the management team towards cancer prevention	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.
Volunteer firefighters' and their departments' perceived barriers in the development of reducing exposure and undertaking decontamination behaviors	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.
Comparing characteristics of different volunteer Departments (Clusters) such as size and location of Department in terms of their future intention, current practice and perceived importance towards cancer prevention	Baseline, After 6 month intervention and 3-month follow-up	The data will be collected by an online survey: Firefighter Exposure to Carcinogens Scale . The dimensions will be rated on a Likert scale. min :0 Max 4 ; The higher score does not mean a better outcome.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

IWK Health Centre; 🇨🇦 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada