TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of melanoma risk among Australian adolescents : barriers to sun protection and recommendations for improvement
AU - McLoone, Jordana K.
AU - Meiser, Bettina
AU - Karatas, Janan
AU - Sousa, Mariana S.
AU - Zilliacus, Elvira
AU - Kasparian, Nadine A.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Objectives: To explore adolescents' perceptions of melanoma risk, sun protection intervention preferences and perceived barriers to sun protection recommendations. Methods: Semi-structured focus groups were held in school classes, stratified by location (coastal, inland) and sector (public, private); discussions were transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using NVivo8 software. Results: 100 students (mean age=14.4 years, SD=0.5; range=14-16 years) from six high schools participated. Students demonstrated a high level of sun protection knowledge and understanding of sun exposure as a primary risk factor for the development of melanoma. There was, however, an under-estimation of melanoma prevalence and mortality rates among youth, and poor understanding of the increased risk associated with sunburn during childhood/adolescence. Adolescents' preferences for intervention focused on first-person accounts of receiving a melanoma diagnosis, communicated by young melanoma survivors. Interventions modelled on youth marketing campaigns or utilising social media were rated poorly. Conclusions: Despite young Australians' adequate knowledge of melanoma and related health recommendations, poor adherence continues to place young people at risk. Study findings suggest that social media interventions developed to influence behaviour change, are not necessarily preferred by adolescents.
AB - Objectives: To explore adolescents' perceptions of melanoma risk, sun protection intervention preferences and perceived barriers to sun protection recommendations. Methods: Semi-structured focus groups were held in school classes, stratified by location (coastal, inland) and sector (public, private); discussions were transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using NVivo8 software. Results: 100 students (mean age=14.4 years, SD=0.5; range=14-16 years) from six high schools participated. Students demonstrated a high level of sun protection knowledge and understanding of sun exposure as a primary risk factor for the development of melanoma. There was, however, an under-estimation of melanoma prevalence and mortality rates among youth, and poor understanding of the increased risk associated with sunburn during childhood/adolescence. Adolescents' preferences for intervention focused on first-person accounts of receiving a melanoma diagnosis, communicated by young melanoma survivors. Interventions modelled on youth marketing campaigns or utilising social media were rated poorly. Conclusions: Despite young Australians' adequate knowledge of melanoma and related health recommendations, poor adherence continues to place young people at risk. Study findings suggest that social media interventions developed to influence behaviour change, are not necessarily preferred by adolescents.
KW - Australia
KW - attitude (psychology)
KW - melanoma
KW - risk perception
KW - sunscreens (cosmetics)
KW - teenagers
UR - http://handle.westernsydney.edu.au:8081/1959.7/uws:40042
U2 - 10.1111/1753-6405.12209
DO - 10.1111/1753-6405.12209
M3 - Article
SN - 1326-0200
VL - 38
SP - 321
EP - 325
JO - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
JF - Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
IS - 4
ER -