Recruiting

CARES4You Curriculum

Sponsor:

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Code:

NCT07501689

Conditions

Cancer Risk Factors

Cancer Prevention

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 10+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

CARES4You Curriculum

Study Details

Brief summary:

The CARES4You study is testing a middle school science curriculum designed to teach students about cancer risk and prevention. The lessons are taught by regular science teachers during class time and are aligned with national science education standards. The curriculum includes six units (14 lessons) that help students learn about cancer, understand how lifestyle and environmental factors influence risk, and think about ways to make healthy choices.

The study will take place in 10 public middle schools in New York City. Some schools will begin using the CARES4You curriculum right away, while others will continue with their usual science lessons and receive the program later. Researchers will compare the two groups of schools.

The main goal of the study is to see whether the curriculum increases students' intentions to engage in healthy behaviors that may reduce cancer risk. The study will also examine whether students talk more with their caregivers about cancer risk and prevention after participating in the program. Caregivers may also report on some health behaviors in the household.

If the program is effective, CARES4You could provide schools with a practical and sustainable way to teach cancer prevention and promote healthy behaviors among adolescents and their families.

Conditions

Cancer Risk Factors

Cancer Prevention

Study ID

NCT07501689

Start date

Jan 29, 2026

Status verified date

Mar, 2026

Completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 10+

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adolescents:
  • Age 10-13
  • Attends a NYC Public Middle School
  • Resides in one of the study's four target PPA's
  • Parents/Caregivers:
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Has at least one child registered for middle school in NYC that resides with them
  • Resides in one of the study's four target PPA's
  • Able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Adolescents: Students who do not attend one of the participating NYC Public Middle Schools
  • Parents/Caregivers: Caregivers who do not have a child that attends one of the participating NYC Public Middle Schools

Study Design

Enrollment

1812 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Non randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Prevention

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Immediate Intervention Delivery

Students in the immediate intervention group will receive the CARES4You curriculum as part of their regular science class. They will complete study assessments before the curriculum begins (baseline) and again approximately six weeks later, after the curriculum has been delivered.

Caregivers will complete a one-time survey about cancer risk communication in the household and their own health behaviors approximately two weeks after the curriculum has been completed in their child's classroom.

placebo comparator: Delayed Intervention Delivery

Schools assigned to the delayed intervention group will continue with their usual science curriculum during the initial study period. Students will complete the same study assessments as the intervention group at baseline and approximately six weeks later. After completion of the follow-up assessments, these schools will implement the CARES4You curriculum the following semester or academic year.

Interventions

CARES4You Curriculum

CARES4You is a teacher-delivered middle school science curriculum focused on cancer risk and prevention. Public middle schools in New York City self-select into either an immediate-intervention group or a delayed-intervention group. In both groups, grade-level science teachers deliver the same curriculum during regular 50-minute science classes over approximately five weeks. The program includes six units delivered across 14 lessons, typically taught 4-5 days per week. Units cover Cancer Genetics, Cancer Epidemiology, Media Literacy and Tobacco Advertising, Nutrition and Cancer, Biotechnology and Cancer, and Cancer Risk Reduction. Lessons combine brief instruction with interactive activities such as identifying cancer risk factors and discussing ways families can reduce risk. Students also complete a final cumulative project.

Primary outcome measure

  • Change in students' intention to engage in health-promoting behaviors following the completion of the curriculum. [ Time Frame: Baseline, End of Study (6 weeks) ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Rosio Ramos, BA

646 962 5037ror2023@med.cornell.edu

Alia Komsany, PhD

646-962-5036alk4019@med.cornell.edu

Locations

P.S/I.S. 173 District: 6 School #: 173

Recruiting

New York, New York, United States, 10033

Contacts

Erica Phillips, MD, MS

646-962-5013erp2001@med.cornell.edu

Jonas Bronck Academy District: 7 School #: X043

Recruiting

The Bronx, New York, United States, 10458

Contacts

Erica Phillips, MD, MS

646-962-5013erp2001@med.cornell.edu

More Information

Sponsor

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Last update posted

Mar 30, 2026

Last verified

Mar, 2026

Keywords

  • cancer prevention
  • cluster trial
  • adolescent health
  • school-based intervention

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Weill Medical College of Cornell University on 2026-03-30.