Using Behavioral Economics to Achieve Improved Healthy Behavior Outcomes in Breast Cancer Survivors

Completed · Not applicable · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Breast Cancer Female

In brief

Preventing or reducing obesity is one factor that has been hailed as a way to improve quality of life, reduce recurrence, and increase survival rates among breast cancer survivors. An experienced team of multi-disciplinary researchers has developed an innovative and unique approach to encourage enhanced nutrition and exercise behaviors in this population using principles of behavioral economics. In particular, the use of social norms or exemplars has been shown in other applications to be effective, and if successful in this population could be inexpensively scaled up for widespread adoption. The proposed pilot study develops a system of text messages for social/mobile media that will provide ongoing reinforcement of desired behavior in breast cancer survivors. These messages would focus on achieving compliance with the expert-developed nutrition and exercise recommendations of the American Cancer Society. In the main study, 310 breast cancer survivors will be randomly placed in intervention and control groups for the 12 week study. Behavior change will be measured using established measures of self-reported behavior. In a sub-study, 60 of the breast cancer survivor participants will also provide blood and urine samples so changes in biomarkers can be assessed. The impact of the study will be measured by biomarkers and self-reported survey responses.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT02938780

Run by

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center

People needed

310

Starts

2015-06-01

Expected to finish

2019-12-01

Last updated by the study team

2020-01-18

Who can join

Age: 20 and older, up to 75. Sex: female. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Female
• Age: 20-75 years old
• No current pregnancy or lactation
• Was diagnosed with Stage 0-IIIB disease and completed all local and systemic therapy (including Herceptin) at least 3 months prior to entry. Women can be on or off anti-hormone therapy.
• Ambulatory
• Willing to be randomized

You may not qualify if…

• Current participation in other treatment (chemo/radiotherapy) clinical trials
• Instructed by doctor not to exercise
• Cannot read English
• Not able to receive text messages

Where it is running

• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center — Lubbock, Texas, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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