High-school youth-led program to boost adult cancer screening
Official title: A Youth-led Intervention to Reduce Healthcare Disparities in Cancer Screening
Run by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey · NCT07008781 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether training New Brunswick high school students to act as health advocates can increase cancer screening awareness and uptake among adult family members who are overdue for screening.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 15 Years to 80 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 84 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (New Brunswick, New Jersey) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | May 30, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2026 |
| Study ends | February 2027 |
| Registry record updated | April 28, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07008781 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal participants are New Jersey adult family members of students aged 15–18 at New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School who are fluent in English or Spanish and are eligible and overdue for at least one guideline-recommended cancer screening.
✕Probably not a fit
People who live outside New Jersey, adults who are already up-to-date for recommended screenings, non–English/Spanish speakers, or students under 15 are unlikely to benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
The intervention trains students at New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School to deliver a youth-led cancer screening outreach to their adult family members. Youth provide education, reminders, and referral support about age-appropriate screenings such as breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancer. Eligible pairs include students aged 15–18 and their adult relatives who are New Jersey residents, fluent in English or Spanish, and eligible for at least one screening. The study measures changes in screening awareness and whether adults complete recommended screenings after the intervention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase screening rates and lead to earlier detection of cancers in communities with low screening uptake.
How similar studies have gone: Community and peer-led outreach programs have improved screening in some populations, but using high-school youth specifically to promote adult cancer screening is relatively novel and less well tested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Student at New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School (15-18 years) and their adult family members (18+ years old) who are NJ residents. * Adults must be eligible for at least one cancer screening other than skin (see below). * Participants must be fluent in either English or Spanish and the youth must speak the same language as the adult. Breast: 40-74 year old women Cervical: 21-65 year old women with a cervix (have not had a hysterectomy) Colorectal: 45-75 year olds Prostate: 50 to 69 year old men (start at 45 for black males) Lung: 50 to 80 year olds who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years Overall: 21-75 year old women 45-75 year old men 76-80 year olds who currently smoke or quit within the past 15 years Exclusion Criteria: * Students less than 15 years old. * Adults not eligible for a cancer screening of interest. * Unable to speak fluent English or Spanish.
Where it's running
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New Brunswick Health Sciences Technology High School
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Sara Heinert, PhD, MPH
- Email: sara.heinert@rutgers.edu
- Phone: 732-235-7872
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.