Shared decision support to prevent cancer in South African youth
Official title: Multi-level shared decision-making intervention to prevent cancer in South Africa
Funded at Brigham and Women's Hospital · NIH-11403599 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers school-based education and shared decision tools to help parents, teachers, and adolescents in Gauteng, South Africa, prevent HPV-related cancers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Brigham and Women's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $64,332 |
| NIH project number | 3R34CA283483-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403599 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents (girls and boys) and their parents or caregivers who attend or are connected to participating schools and communities in Gauteng Province, South Africa.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside the participating areas or who are not connected to the participating schools and outreach channels may not receive direct benefits from this project.
What this research studies
If you or your child are in Gauteng Province, researchers will work with the Department of Health and local schools to create and improve education and communication materials that support informed choices about cancer prevention. The program will train teachers, give parents and caregivers clear information, and set up trusted ways for families to make shared decisions about prevention services. The team will pilot these materials in schools and community channels and reach boys and adolescents who are outside the public school system. They will track how well the materials reach families and whether more young people complete recommended prevention steps.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could increase uptake of HPV vaccination and other prevention services and reduce future cervical and other infection-related cancers among young people in the region.
How similar studies have gone: School-based HPV vaccination and education programs have raised vaccine uptake in other countries, but applying a multi-level shared decision-making approach in this South African context is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Katz, Ingrid T. — Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Katz, Ingrid T.
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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.