Readiness to change sun-protective behaviour.
The incidence of malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers has increased rapidly in Sweden during the last 20 years. The best-known way to revert this trend is primary prevention. Matching health messages to readiness to change in the population may enhance the effect of community-based prevention. The aims of this study were to investigate readiness to change sun-protective behaviour in two groups (visitors to mobile screening units and beach-goers) and to test a single-item algorithm in assessing the stage of change in sun-protective behaviour. Seven hundred and forty-two visitors to the mobile screening units and 202 individuals on nearby beaches answered a short questionnaire. The assessment of readiness to change was based on stages of change in sun-protective behaviour modified from the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change. As expected, the visitors to the screening units were more often in action/maintenance stages than the beach group for most sun-protective behaviours. In conclusion, the single-item algorithm method appears to be sensitive to assess readiness to change sun-protective behaviour, based on the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change. This method can be incorporated into population surveys and may aid in developing successful skin cancer prevention programmes.
Kristjánsson
S
S
Department of Cancer Prevention, Stockholm Center of Public Health, Karolinska Hospital, Sweden. sveinbjorn.kristjansson@smd.sll.se
Helgason
A R
AR
Rosdahl
I
I
Holm
L E
LE
Ullén
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001493:Bathing Beaches / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D013473:Sunscreening Agents; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D013473:Sunscreening Agents