title: Increasing screening intentions for oral and pharyngeal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral and pharyngeal cancer is a serious health threat that goes unnoticed by most people. Increasing screenings for oral and pharyngeal cancer is essential to achieving early detection when the disease is most treatable.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We tested the effectiveness of a media campaign designed to increase intentions to seek an oral and pharyngeal cancer screening. We further examined whether concern and knowledge of oral and pharyngeal cancer mediated screening intentions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants in the intervention condition received messages on posters, handheld fans, pamphlets, and magnets displayed on the sides of cars or trucks. Participants in the intervention and comparison conditions (N = 1,790) were surveyed prior to and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention participants reported greater intentions to seek free oral and pharyngeal cancer screenings. Concern about oral and pharyngeal cancer partially mediated the effect whereas knowledge did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our media campaign successfully increased screening intentions by heightening concerns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, Southeast Center for Research to Reduce Disparities in Oral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-32608, USA. hlogan@dental.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Henrietta L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Shepperd
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pomery
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Keith E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: Virginia J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Riley
mesh_terms: D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015397:Program Evaluation