Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42133942›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2026

Using Facebook to Improve Participation in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Arlinda Ruco, Natalie Baker, Melissa Howse, Anne Sorvari, Jenna Jacobson, Diego Llovet, Jill Tinmouth, Rahim Moineddin, Nancy Noel Baxter

Registry-linked trialAbstract readClinical Trial Protocol
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04296630 (Utilizing Social Media for Colorectal Cancer Screening), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04296630 naenrolling by invitationnot on this map

Utilizing Social Media for Colorectal Cancer Screening: an Innovative Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorUnity Health TorontoRan2024 to 2024Enrolled56,000ConditionsColorectal Cancer, Cancer ScreeningArmsSocial media message #1, Social media message #2, Social media message #3, Social Media Message #4, Tailored Social Media Message
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Arlinda RucoInterdisciplinary Health Program, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0221-5836
Natalie BakerLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0009-0003-9373-1020
Melissa HowseInterdisciplinary Health Program, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2720-0438
Anne SorvariLi Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0009-0004-5818-1286
Jenna JacobsonTed Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1371-1077
Diego LlovetInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-6911-5143
Jill TinmouthInstitute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-0264-2176
Rahim MoineddinDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-5506-084X
Nancy Noel BaxterFaculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4793-4620

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) screening participation in Canada is lower than the national target, and interventions designed to increase screening participation are generally expensive and have limited impact. Social media can be used as an innovative strategy to increase participation in cancer screening, particularly Facebook (FB), as it is the most popular social media platform for the population eligible for CRC screening.

objectiveThe aim of this study is to report on the protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial that will test the effectiveness of CRC social media advertisements on user engagement and screening intention.

methodsThe trial will target FB users aged 45 to 64 years who reside in the province of Ontario, Canada. There are 521 forward sortation areas (FSAs) in Ontario, and the randomization will be done at this level using the first 3 digits of the postal code. Rural and urban FSAs will be randomly allocated to one of the 6 study arms. In 4 arms, FB users will all receive one of 4 social media advertisements developed in previous studies, while in the fifth arm, a tailored strategy by sex will be tested. In the final arm, FB users will not be shown any advertisements. If users click on any of the advertisements, they will be directed to a webpage with more information on screening and a place to pledge their intention to screen for CRC. The study's primary outcome will be tested as a count measure, defined as the number of people per FSA who pledge their intention to screen for CRC. User engagement metrics, including impressions, link clicks, cost per link click, link click-through rate, and user comments, will be tracked across the 5 trial arms with advertisements shown.

resultsThis cluster randomized controlled trial will provide evidence on the use of FB as a tool for delivering CRC screening messages and influencing screening intentions. The comparison of message types within a fixed campaign budget could identify which approaches promote user engagement in both urban and rural populations.

conclusionsThis study has the potential to show that social media offers a cost-efficient, scalable approach to promote CRC screening. This approach is adaptable to other cancer screening programs and could provide evidence-based digital strategies for the promotion of cancer screening.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04296630; https://tinyurl.com/5y5k7yjb. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/86829.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsEarly Detection of CancerMass ScreeningPatient ParticipationSocial MediaFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOntarioRandomized Controlled Trials as Topiccancer screeningcluster randomized controlled trialcluster RCTFacebookmass screeningsocial media

Identifiers

PMID42133942
PMCPMC13219987

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.