title: Testing an extended theory of planned behaviour to predict young people's sun safety in a high risk area.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present research examined the sun protection intentions and behaviours of young people in a high risk skin cancer area using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) incorporating additional social influences of group and image norms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study employed a prospective design to examine young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N=1,134), aged 12-20 years, were students (school, university, TAFE) and young employees living in Queensland, Australia. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing the TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control) and additional social influences (group norm, image norm) of sun protection intentions. Two weeks later, participants (N=734) reported their sun protection behaviour for the previous fortnight.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results revealed that the TPB variables of attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control and the additional social influence variable of group norms, but not image norms, emerged as significant predictors of intentions to engage in sun protection. The extended TPB variables accounted for 36% of the variance in intentions. For behaviour, the extended TPB variables accounted for 27% of the variance with both intention and, unexpectedly, group norm as the significant direct predictors of sun protective behaviours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study provide support for the application of the TPB in the sun safety context and highlight the importance of considering the influence of group norms in the development of future interventions to increase young people's sun protection intentions and behaviour.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. km.white@qut.edu.au
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Natalie G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Ross McD
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Melissa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Greenbank
authors.forename: Toni
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rolfe
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vardon
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Baskerville
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D002980:Climate; D005260:Female; D006370:Heliotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012449:Safety; D012919:Social Behavior; D012933:Social Identification; D013471:Sunburn / Q000517:prevention & control*