title: Perceived Relevance of Educative Information on Public (Skin) Health: Results of a Representative, Population-Based Telephone Survey.
abstract: Individual skin health attitudes are influenced by various factors, including public education campaigns, mass media, family, and friends. Evidence-based, educative information materials assist communication and decision-making in doctor-patient interactions. The present study aims at assessing the prevailing use of skin health information material and sources and their impact on skin health knowledge, motives to tan, and sun protection. We conducted a questionnaire survey among a representative sample of Austrian residents. Print media and television were perceived as the two most relevant sources for skin health information, whereas the source physician was ranked third. Picking the information source physician increased participants' skin health knowledge (p = 0.025) and sun-protective behavior (p < 0.001). The study results highlight the demand for targeted health messages to attain lifestyle changes towards photo-protective habits. Providing resources that encourage pro-active counseling in every-day doctor-patient communication could increase skin health knowledge and sun-protective behavior, and thus, curb the rise in skin cancer incidence rates.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. daniela.haluza@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haluza
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. markus.schwab2@gmx.at.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.affiliation: Institute of Meteorology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria. stana.simic@boku.ac.at.
authors.forename: Stana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Simic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. renate.cervinka@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cervinka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Health, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. hanns.moshammer@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Hanns
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moshammer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001317:Austria; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents
keywords: Public (Skin) Health; gender; health education; melanoma prevention; skin health promotion; sun protection