The Feasibility of Text Messaging to Assess Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Youngsters With Cancer or Sickle Cell Disease
| Status: | Completed |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Cancer, Cancer, Anemia |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Hematology, Oncology |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 10 - 17 |
| Updated: | 11/8/2014 |
| Start Date: | May 2012 |
| End Date: | August 2015 |
| Contact: | James Klosky, PhD |
| Email: | info@stjude.org |
| Phone: | 866-278-5833 |
Exposure to secondhand smoke is a leading preventable cause of child morbidity and
mortality, and the adverse health consequences of secondhand smoke are magnified among
youngsters with cancer and sickle cell disease. Current methods for measuring secondhand
smoke exposure (SHSe) rely on retrospective reports over extended time periods that are
subject to recall errors and systematic inaccuracies in reporting and often do not include
the youngster as the primary informant. These methods may underestimate the extent of
cumulative SHSe and are not well suited to capturing exposure over time and across settings
where young people frequent. More appealing methods that engage youngsters to better
monitor tobacco smoke in their environment are warranted.
The study will examine the feasibility of cell phone texting to obtain measures of
secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) in children treated for cancer or sickle cell disease
(SCD).
mortality, and the adverse health consequences of secondhand smoke are magnified among
youngsters with cancer and sickle cell disease. Current methods for measuring secondhand
smoke exposure (SHSe) rely on retrospective reports over extended time periods that are
subject to recall errors and systematic inaccuracies in reporting and often do not include
the youngster as the primary informant. These methods may underestimate the extent of
cumulative SHSe and are not well suited to capturing exposure over time and across settings
where young people frequent. More appealing methods that engage youngsters to better
monitor tobacco smoke in their environment are warranted.
The study will examine the feasibility of cell phone texting to obtain measures of
secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) in children treated for cancer or sickle cell disease
(SCD).
Children participating on this study will be asked to report on the smoking that takes place
in their presence for a period of 7 days by responding to daily texted messages sent by the
research team to their mobile phones. Rates of participation on the study, compliance with
reporting SHSe, and feedback about the technical viability and satisfaction with the texting
methods will be obtained. Parents will also be asked to report on the child's SHSe during
the same 7-day period so that child and parent reports can be compared. In addition to
quantitative child and parent reports of SHSe, child and parent questionnaire data about
attitudes, behavioral practices to control SHSe, and other socio-environmental factors will
be obtained. Individual interviews with youngsters will provide additional qualitative
information about the social context and conditions in the child's environment that maintain
or contribute to avoidance of exposure. This information will be collectively used to
develop a larger trial that will test a behavioral intervention to reduce SHSe among
youngsters with cancer and SCD and require them to monitor their SHSe using text messaging.
Measuring SHSe in these vulnerable populations and intervening to reduce their SHSe is
critical to protecting their current and long-term health.
As participation rates and compliance may differ among youngsters diagnosed with cancer and
sickle cell disease, participants will be stratified by disease group (up to 55 with cancer
and up to 55 with SCD).
in their presence for a period of 7 days by responding to daily texted messages sent by the
research team to their mobile phones. Rates of participation on the study, compliance with
reporting SHSe, and feedback about the technical viability and satisfaction with the texting
methods will be obtained. Parents will also be asked to report on the child's SHSe during
the same 7-day period so that child and parent reports can be compared. In addition to
quantitative child and parent reports of SHSe, child and parent questionnaire data about
attitudes, behavioral practices to control SHSe, and other socio-environmental factors will
be obtained. Individual interviews with youngsters will provide additional qualitative
information about the social context and conditions in the child's environment that maintain
or contribute to avoidance of exposure. This information will be collectively used to
develop a larger trial that will test a behavioral intervention to reduce SHSe among
youngsters with cancer and SCD and require them to monitor their SHSe using text messaging.
Measuring SHSe in these vulnerable populations and intervening to reduce their SHSe is
critical to protecting their current and long-term health.
As participation rates and compliance may differ among youngsters diagnosed with cancer and
sickle cell disease, participants will be stratified by disease group (up to 55 with cancer
and up to 55 with SCD).
Inclusion Criteria:
- Child Participant:
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) patient with primary diagnosis of
any type of cancer or any sickle cell disease genotype (HbSS, HbSC, HbSβ°thal,
HbSβ+thal, HbSD, HbSO, Hb S/HPFH, HbSE).
- 10 to < 18 years of age at the time of enrollment.
- For cancer patients, at least one month from diagnosis and in active treatment
section at the time of enrollment.
- Lives in a smoking household defined as at least one adult (> 18 years) smoker
who resides in the home. Smoking adults will be defined as those who have
smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days, per parent report.
- Does not currently use tobacco (defined as abstinence from tobacco during the 30
days preceding the screening assessment as based on patient and/or parent
report).
- Able to demonstrate satisfactory texting skills via mobile phone as determined
by study research staff.
- Cannot have significant cognitive or learning impairment that precludes
completion of study measures.
- Reads and speaks English.
- Willing and able to provide assent according to institutional guidelines.
- Parent Participant:
- Parent of SJCRH patient who meets criteria as stated above.
- Reads and speaks English.
- Willing and able to provide informed consent according to institutional
guidelines.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Child Participant:
- Patients diagnosed with cancer who have relapsed or have recurrence of disease
within the past month or those with progressive disease.
- Patients in medical crisis as determined by consultation with their primary care
physician.
- On bone marrow transplant service.
- On inpatient service or expected/scheduled inpatient admission (e.g.
hospitalized).
- Acute complications of sickle cell disease requiring hospitalization or an acute
care visit including pain crises, acute chest syndrome, acute cerebrovascular
events/stroke or active infection/fever.
- Patient is residing in St. Jude long-term nonsmoking housing facility (e.g.
Target House or Ronald McDonald House) during the 7-day texting data collection
phase.
- Parent participant:
- Cannot be in crisis or distress or have another disabling condition that would
preclude participation as determined by review of patient's medical record prior
to study enrollment.
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