Mobile program to help Hispanic families protect their skin and check for early signs of skin cancer
Developing and testing a mobile health intervention to promote sun protection behaviors and skin examination among Hispanics
This project uses a phone-based program to help Hispanic people learn sun-safety habits and how to do skin self-exams.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11261602 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would receive culturally tailored content on a smartphone—tips on sunscreen, protective clothing, and shade, plus step-by-step guidance for checking your skin. The program is designed for Hispanic adults, adolescents, and families and includes reminders and practical tips for people who work outdoors. Researchers will track participant responses and behavior over time with brief surveys and possible photo-based check-ins to see if habits change. The team will use those data to refine the app and measure whether people increase sun protection and perform skin self-exams more often.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Hispanic adults, adolescents, and families—especially those who work outdoors or want help learning sun-safety and skin self-exams—are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without reliable smartphone access, non-Hispanic individuals, or those who already follow strong sun-protection routines may not gain much benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reduce skin cancer risk and help detect melanomas earlier in Hispanic communities.
How similar studies have performed: Some mobile health and education programs have improved sun-protection behaviors, but few have focused on Hispanic populations, so the approach is partly supported yet still fairly novel for this group.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Niu, Zhaomeng — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Niu, Zhaomeng
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.