Early Intervention to Prevent Skin Cancer
Funder: American Cancer Society
Start Date: 2004
The research evaluated an intervention strategy designed to prevent skin cancer in young adolescents. The intervention used parents as change agents to effectively communicate the risks of skin cancer and encourage their children to avoid high-risk sun-related behaviors while increasing positive sun-safe behaviors. Specifically, 340 parents in two regions of the United States were educated about the dangers of risky sun behaviors and how to convey information about skin cancer prevention to their children. Parents were then encouraged to talk with their children about these issues over a one-month period prior to the onset of summer. Following this time period, children whose parents received and implemented the intervention materials were compared with a control sample of children who did not receive the intervention. These two groups were matched on age, gender, and school on number of sunburns and sunburn severity, as well as sunbathing behavior and a number of related attitudes and beliefs. Children in the treatment condition differed significantly from controls in the predicted directions on all skin cancer risk outcome variables (e.g., sunbathing tendencies, sunburns, use of sun screens, attitudes and belief about tanning). The findings provide evidence of parental efficacy in reducing skin cancer risk behaviors of children via parent-based intervention approaches.
Publications
Turrisi, R., Hillhouse, J., Heavin, S., Robinson, J., Adams, M., & Berry, J. (2004). Examination of the short-term efficacy of a parent-based intervention to prevent skin cancer. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 27, 393-412.
Investigators
- Rob Turrisi
- Professor of Biobehavioral Health
- rjt13@psu.edu
- June Robinson
- Section Chief, Dermatology
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
- Joel J. Hillhouse
- Professor of Psychology
- East Tennessee State University
- hillhous@etsu.edu