Internet Intervention for Childhood Encopresis

Summary

This study will evaluate the effectiveness of an Internet intervention designed to reduce the behaviors and symptoms of pediatric encopresis.

Conditions

• Encopresis

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Internet Intervention + Stepped Care

Participants will spend about 1 hour each week for 6 weeks using the Internet Intervention. In the first week, users will complete tutorials covering the three main components of treatment: 1) anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of digestion; 2) education on clean-out and laxative treatments; and 3) behavioral treatment for encopresis. In subsequent weeks, users will complete weekly "follow-ups," where they answer a series of questions about their progress and needs. The program then assigns additional intervention modules based on the difficulties the participants endorses. The 22 modules target a variety of issues including fears of toilet use; social isolation; administering, adjusting, and tapering laxatives; diet; hygiene; and preventing relapses. In addition to automatic emails, participants in this group will also receive additional support based on whether they complete specific intervention milestones.

BEHAVIORAL

Internet Intervention

As described in Arm 1 above, participants will spend about 1 hour each week for 6 weeks using the Internet intervention. In the first week, users will complete tutorials covering the three main components of treatment: 1) anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of digestion; 2) education on clean-out and laxative treatments; and 3) behavioral treatment for encopresis. In subsequent weeks, users will complete weekly "follow-ups," where they answer a series of questions about their progress and needs. The program will then assign additional intervention modules based on the difficulties the participant endorses. The 22 modules target a variety of issues including fears of toilet use; social isolation; administering, adjusting, and tapering laxatives; diet; hygiene; and preventing relapses.

BEHAVIORAL

Patient Education Website

Participants will be given access to a relevant patient education website. It will contain material on managing and treating the behaviors and symptoms of childhood encopresis.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  collaborator NIH

• University of Virginia

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Lee M Ritterband, PhD · University of Virginia Health Systems

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

5 Years

Max Age

12 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2010-01-31

Primary Completion

2012-03-31

Completion

2012-03-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations