title: Interactive computer technology for skin cancer prevention targeting children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computer technology has become an integral part of health care, yet there have been few studies exploring the use of multimedia technology in the prevention of cancer, especially targeting children.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to develop and evaluate a new multimedia computer program for the primary prevention of skin cancer among a childhood population.
  
  
  METHODS
  An interactive CD-ROM program was developed, then pilot tested in a public elementary school in rural North Carolina. This intervention trial involved 8 third- and fourth-grade classes (N = 209 students), randomized into 3 groups: computer intervention, standard teacher-led intervention, and controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students were tested using pre- and postintervention surveys that measured knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported behaviors. A 7-month follow-up survey was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase in postintervention knowledge for the computer group when compared to either the teacher-led or control groups (mean scores out of 100: 75.2, 59.5, 55.0, respectively; p < 0.001). Attitudes about suntanning demonstrated a significant difference between the 3 groups (mean scores out of 100: 64.0, 53.0, 48.6, respectively; p = 0.002). There were slight improvements in the behavioral scores, especially among the computer group, but the overall differences were not significant. Similar overall results were found for the long-term follow-up survey, except that attitudes about suntanning no longer demonstrated a significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that this new educational tool is an effective way to introduce health education programs for young children in typical classroom settings. This prototype may serve as a model for the development of future preventive school-based programs, including applications to other conditions associated with high-risk behaviors among children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA. rhornu@chmc.org
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hornung
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lennon
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Garrett
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: DeVellis
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Strecher
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016251:CD-ROM; D002648:Child; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019212:Multimedia; D009657:North Carolina; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D014584:User-Computer Interface