Interventions to Decrease Health Information Avoidance

Health information avoidance is an overlooked threat to the reach and effectiveness of health communication. To fully realize the benefits of our sizeable investments in health messaging, it is necessary to identify strategies for reducing health information avoidance. The researchers will test a video-based strategy for promoting colorectal cancer screening designed to reduce defensive colorectal cancer information avoidance and increase message reach by increasing engagement among those who would otherwise avoid the message. The researchers will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the effects of the intervention video to an attentional control video on colorectal cancer screening intentions and uptake.

NCT Number	NCT06972667
Lead Sponsor	State University of New York at Buffalo Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Conditions	Health Information Avoidance
Enrollment	1,500 participants
Start Date	2025-12-10
Primary Completion	2026-09 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-09 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-04