St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program: The Feasibility of Teacher Delivery (Pilot Study)

Overview

-The St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program was created in 2006 as part of the outreach mandate of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The curriculum is designed to teach schoolchildren about cancer and dispel common misconceptions, inform students about healthy lifestyle choices that can translate to reduced cancer risk in adulthood, and to inspire an interest in science and scientific careers. In the 2010-2011 school year, researchers examined the impact of the program in regard to knowledge. It has always been clear that St. Jude personnel are limited to visiting a small number of schools in person each year so in 2011, a teacher's kit to the education program was created. The kit includes all the lesson plans needed to complete the program without the presence of St. Jude staff members. As a result, researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital want to test the feasibility of the intervention by schoolteachers, and how this mechanism of delivery will affect student knowledge, attitudes, and health behaviors associated with cancer and healthy living.

Teachers who agree to participate will use the teacher's kit developed by the St. Jude International Outreach Program to deliver the St. Jude Cancer Education for Children curriculum to 4th grade students over the course of 1 week. Pre and post survey data will be collected from students to measure knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions of vulnerability, intentions, and behaviors associated with cancer and healthy living. Rates of compliance and feedback about the curriculum will be collected from teachers via curriculum checklist, survey, and interviews. Primary Objective: * To determine if it is feasible for classroom teachers to implement the St. Jude Cancer Education for Children Program. Secondary/Exploratory Objectives: * To determine factors that may contribute to the program's feasibility such as school and teacher characteristics. * To measure the impact of the intervention on student knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, perceptions of vulnerability, intentions, and self-reported health behaviors.

Conditions