An interventional study of Racial group-targeted messages and Explicit Commitment in Colorectal Cancer, sponsored by Oakland University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 45 Years to 80 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-08-08.
Sponsored by Oakland University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Screening
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in the United States, and African Americans (AfAms) still fare worse in CRC incidence and mortality compared to European Americans (EuAms). We propose to examine whether combining both fear-reduction and racially-targeted norm-based messages will increase at-home stool-based CRC screening receptivity and uptake for all African American regardless of level of racial identity. Given low return rates of at-home screening kits, we will also explore whether making an explicit commitment to return screening kits is associated with increased kit returns.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in the United States, and African Americans (AfAms) still fare worse in CRC incidence and mortality compared to European Americans (EuAms).Interventions to increase CRC screening rates among AfAms are instrumental to address the disparities in CRC incidence and mortality. Despite literature indicating that AfAms' fears (e.g., of colonoscopy procedures or cancer diagnosis) serve as barriers to CRC screening, no interventions have used theory-guided methods to directly target fear-based beliefs. Additionally, no research has examined the extent to which racial identity moderates the effects of racially targeted messaging, despite the ubiquity of using targeted health messaging entreaties among minority groups. This is particularly relevant given our work showing that racially-targeted screening entreaties increased CRC screening intentions among AfAms who identified less strongly, but depressed those intentions among AfAms who identified more strongly with their racial group. Lack of focus on other salient CRC screening barriers may have been off-putting to highly identified African Americans. We propose to examine whether combining both fear-reduction and racially-targeted norm-based messages will increase at-home stool-based CRC screening receptivity and uptake for all African American regardless of level of racial identity. Given low return rates of at-home screening kits, we will also explore whether making an explicit commitment to return screening kits is associated with increased kit returns.
Aim 1: To develop and refine a fear-reduction intervention guided by the theory of planned behavior and by published literature, in conjunction with AfAm community experts.
Aim 2: To examine whether the fear-reduction entreaty increases receptivity to, and uptake of at-home CRC screening when coupled with racially-targeted norm-based messages.
Aim 3: To examine the moderating roles of racial identity and perceived CRC risk on the effects of fear-reduction and racially-targeted norm-based messaging entreaties.
Aim 4: We will explore whether participants who make explicit commitments to return FIT Kits return them at a higher rate compared to those who do not make such commitments.
5,599 studies on the registry are indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms; 1,459 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 799 is above the median of 77 across 4,123 interventional studies indexed under Colorectal Neoplasms.
Browse Colorectal Neoplasms studies →Oakland University is the lead sponsor of 10 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
African American Overdue to colorectal cancer screening Has primary care physician Not at high risk for colorectal cancer
Exclusion Criteria:
Not meeting inclusion criteria
One of 3 messaging entreaties based on normative perceptions of colorectal cancer screening, and one no norm-based messaging arm.
Other: Racial group-targeted messages
Participants randomized to receive (or not receive) messaging entreaty to address colorectal cancer screening fears.
Other: Racial group-targeted messages
Participants randomized to indicate explicit commitment to return FIT Kits for processing.
Other: Explicit Commitment
Participants receive no health messages.
Colorectal cancer screening messages targeted towards participants racial group.
Indicate explicit commitment to return at home screening kit.
FIT Kit request
FIT Kit request
Time frame: Immediately after survey
FIT Kit return
Mailing completed FIT Kit to lab for processing
Time frame: 3 months
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2025. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Oakland University