Abstract
Background: Recommendations for skin cancer prevention include behaviors such as using sunscreen, seeking shade, and wearing a shirt with sleeves, but the best way to persuasively communicate this information to the public is not clear. Purpose: To test whether a messaging strategy using videos that focus on one specific behavior at a time versus a more general or multibehavior sun protection message is effective at changing attitudinal beliefs and intention with regard to sun protection behaviors. Methods: Online experiment among non-Hispanic white 18-49 year old adults in the USA. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, each one with health messages on a different sun protection prevention behavior: "using sunscreen" (Condition 1, n = 259), "seeking shade" (Condition 2, n = 245), or "covering up" (Condition 3, n = 289). Condition 4 (the control, n = 251) is a multibehavior message that equally promotes sunscreen, seeking shade, and covering up and features a general message on sun safety. Results: ANOVA and path analysis results suggest that messages which emphasize a single sun protection behavior compared with general sun safety messaging could potentially be a promising approach. The effectiveness of the videos in influencing attitudinal beliefs varied by behavior, with some gender and age moderation. There was an indirect effect on intention to use sunscreen. Conclusions: This study advances our understanding of strategies for skin cancer prevention campaigns. Specifically, it suggests that focusing on a single sun protection behavior with targeted beliefs may be valuable as a first step in encouraging sun safety.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 108-118 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Annals of Behavioral Medicine |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 5 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to acknowledge Jill McDonald and Caroline LaRochelle for their assistance in preparing this manuscript. This publication was supported by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number, 1U48DP005053, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Society of Behavioral Medicine. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Health behavior theory
- Health communication
- Messaging
- Prevention
- Skin cancer
