title: Interventions Promoting Testicular Self-Examination (TSE) Performance: A Systematic Review.
abstract: Testicular cancer is one of the greatest threats to health and wellness among 15- to 40-year old males. A concerted effort in the literature promoting awareness, risk factors, and preventative measures is warranted. There is limited discussion on the validity of interventions aimed at promoting testicular self-examination (TSE) performance; the existing body of evidence offers little discussion on what specific factors motivate performance. To assist in making Healthy People 2020 an all-inclusive success, a comprehensive assessment of existing evidence is necessary to assist in closing this research gap. A systematic review of interventions promoting TSE performance discovered moderate levels of effectiveness among 10 studies promoting the behavior. Concerning methodological quality, nine were of average quality and one was of high quality. In terms of significant TSE reporting between intervention and control/comparison groups, 3 out of 10 did not achieve the statistical causal threshold. Based on our assessment of TSE intervention quality and outcomes pertaining to behavior adoption, a best-practices guideline is presented for researchers in the field to consult as they design their interventions. This guideline aims to improve on internal and external validity of TSE promotion research in order to make them more effective.
authors.affiliation: University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA michael.rovito@ucf.edu.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rovito
authors.affiliation: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine-Bradenton, Bradenton, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Chase
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavayero
authors.affiliation: Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, MA, USA.
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.affiliation: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine-Bradenton, Bradenton, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer / Q000379:methods; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016353:Self-Examination / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: interventions; males; performance; testicular cancer; testicular self-examination