title: Perceptions of melanoma risk among Australian adolescents: barriers to sun protection and recommendations for improvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore adolescents' perceptions of melanoma risk, sun protection intervention preferences and perceived barriers to sun protection recommendations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured focus groups were held in school classes, stratified by location (coastal, inland) and sector (public, private); discussions were transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using NVivo8 software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  100 students (mean age=14.4 years, SD=0.5; range=14-16 years) from six high schools participated. Students demonstrated a high level of sun protection knowledge and understanding of sun exposure as a primary risk factor for the development of melanoma. There was, however, an under-estimation of melanoma prevalence and mortality rates among youth, and poor understanding of the increased risk associated with sunburn during childhood/adolescence. Adolescents' preferences for intervention focused on first-person accounts of receiving a melanoma diagnosis, communicated by young melanoma survivors. Interventions modelled on youth marketing campaigns or utilising social media were rated poorly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite young Australians' adequate knowledge of melanoma and related health recommendations, poor adherence continues to place young people at risk. Study findings suggest that social media interventions developed to influence behaviour change, are not necessarily preferred by adolescents.
authors: Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Women's and Children's Health, UNSW Medicine, University of New South Wales Australia.
authors: Jordana K
authors: JK
authors: McLoone
authors: Bettina
authors: B
authors: Meiser
authors: Janan
authors: J
authors: Karatas
authors: Mariana S
authors: MS
authors: Sousa
authors: Elvira
authors: E
authors: Zilliacus
authors: Nadine A
authors: NA
authors: Kasparian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D013471:Sunburn / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents
keywords: adolescents; attitudes; intervention; melanoma; perceived risk