TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of a short messaging service-based skin cancer prevention campaign in adolescents
AU - Hingle, Melanie D.
AU - Snyder, Aimee L.
AU - McKenzie, Naja E.
AU - Thomson, Cynthia A.
AU - Logan, Robert A.
AU - Ellison, Eden A.
AU - Koch, Stephanie M.
AU - Harris, Robin B.
N1 - Funding Information:
This project is supported by a contract from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), NIH. The NLM was consulted but did not manage the study design, collection, analysis, or interpretation of data, writing of the report, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors would like to acknowledge Nirav Merchant and David Parizek at Arizona Research Laboratories at the University of Arizona for their contributions to the software infrastructure and the mobile application used in this study, and Jianhua Hilgaertner for her assistance with data analysis. In addition, the authors would like to thank the teachers at Emily Gray Junior High School, St. Gregory College Preparatory School, and Desert Sky Middle School in Tucson AZ for their help in recruiting youth to this study. Finally, the authors would like to acknowledge Lisa Quale at the Skin Cancer Institute at the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who helped in the development of skin cancer and sun safety messages used for this study.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. All rights reserved.
PY - 2014/11/1
Y1 - 2014/11/1
N2 - Background Skin cancer prevention emphasizes early adoption and practice of sun protection behaviors. Adolescence represents a high-risk period for ultraviolet radiation exposure, presenting an opportunity for intervention. The ubiquity of mobile phones among teens offers an engaging medium through which to communicate prevention messages.Purpose To evaluate a skin cancer prevention intervention using short messaging service (SMS, or text messages) to impact sun-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents.Methods The intervention was conducted in middle school youth (N=113) recruited in April or October 2012. Participants were English speakers, 11-14 years old, routinely carried a mobile phone, and completed a 55-minute sun safety education program. Participants were sent three sun safety-themed SMS messages each week for 12 weeks. Skin and sun protective knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and post-intervention program satisfaction were collected and analyzed at baseline and end of intervention (April/June 2012; October 2012/January 2013). Paired responses were tested for equality using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.Results Ninety-six students (85%) completed the study. At 12 weeks, significant positive changes were reported for sun avoidance during peak ultraviolet radiation, sunscreen application, wearing hats and sunglasses, and knowledge about skin cancer risk. Participants expressed moderately high satisfaction with the program, and 15% shared messages with family or friends.Conclusions A brief, SMS-based intervention affected youth skin cancer prevention behaviors and knowledge. Future research will determine whether program effects were sustained at 24 weeks and explore how sun safety parenting practices inform these effects.
AB - Background Skin cancer prevention emphasizes early adoption and practice of sun protection behaviors. Adolescence represents a high-risk period for ultraviolet radiation exposure, presenting an opportunity for intervention. The ubiquity of mobile phones among teens offers an engaging medium through which to communicate prevention messages.Purpose To evaluate a skin cancer prevention intervention using short messaging service (SMS, or text messages) to impact sun-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors among adolescents.Methods The intervention was conducted in middle school youth (N=113) recruited in April or October 2012. Participants were English speakers, 11-14 years old, routinely carried a mobile phone, and completed a 55-minute sun safety education program. Participants were sent three sun safety-themed SMS messages each week for 12 weeks. Skin and sun protective knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, and post-intervention program satisfaction were collected and analyzed at baseline and end of intervention (April/June 2012; October 2012/January 2013). Paired responses were tested for equality using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.Results Ninety-six students (85%) completed the study. At 12 weeks, significant positive changes were reported for sun avoidance during peak ultraviolet radiation, sunscreen application, wearing hats and sunglasses, and knowledge about skin cancer risk. Participants expressed moderately high satisfaction with the program, and 15% shared messages with family or friends.Conclusions A brief, SMS-based intervention affected youth skin cancer prevention behaviors and knowledge. Future research will determine whether program effects were sustained at 24 weeks and explore how sun safety parenting practices inform these effects.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.014
DO - 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.06.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 25053602
AN - SCOPUS:84908232506
SN - 0749-3797
VL - 47
SP - 617
EP - 623
JO - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
JF - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
IS - 5
ER -