Impact of a multimedia intervention "Skinsafe" on patients' knowledge and protective behaviors.
BACKGROUND
Rates of malignant melanoma are rising, with those people with sun-sensitive skin most at risk. Health education interventions are needed to help people protect themselves by detecting early signs of melanoma and by protecting their skin from sunburn. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of an interactive multimedia intervention "Skinsafe" on patients' knowledge about melanoma and on their skin protective behaviors.


METHODS
In this cluster-randomized, controlled trial conducted in Nottinghamshire, UK, doctors and nurses in 5 family practices prescribed Skinsafe to patients with higher risk skin characteristics. Measures of melanoma knowledge, perceived risk of melanoma and reported skin protective behaviors were obtained at baseline and at 6-month follow-up from 259 patients receiving the intervention and 330 patients with higher risk skin characteristics in 5 matched control practices.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants had low levels of melanoma knowledge at baseline. At follow-up, the intervention group had higher knowledge scores than control (3.71 vs. 3.03, P < or = 0.001), reported more protective skin behaviors (5.36 vs. 5.06, P = 0.007) and were more likely to report mole checking (odds ratio 1.67, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.70, P = 0.035). The Skinsafe intervention was evaluated positively by patients and could be used to support melanoma health education within clinical settings.
Behavioral Sciences Section, Division of Psychiatry, School of Community Health Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK. cris.glazebrook@nottingham.ac.uk
Cristine
C
Glazebrook
Paul
P
Garrud
Anthony
A
Avery
Carol
C
Coupland
Hywel
H
Williams
D000328:Adult; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D016353:Self-Examination; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012984:Software; D013473:Sunscreening Agents
D013473:Sunscreening Agents