Amy B Jordan1, Amy Bleakley2, Julia M Alber3, DeAnn Lazovich4, Karen Glanz5. 1. Amy B. Jordan, Professor, School of Communication and Information, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ;, Email: a.jordan@rutgers.edu. 2. Amy Bleakley, Professor, Department of Communication, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. 3. Julia M. Alber, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Public Health, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA. 4. DeAnn Lazovich, Associate Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. 5. Karen Glanz, George A. Weiss University Professor, Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
Abstract
Objectives: Indoor tanning, which is most common among 18-25-year-old white women, increases the risk of skin cancer. To address this problem, we developed and tested messages with a national sample of indoor tanners to determine beliefs that would encourage them to quit. Methods: Messages discouraging indoor tanning using different persuasive themes (skin cancer risk, appearance risk, well-being enhancement) were developed based on formative research and a review of intervention efforts. We conducted an online experiment to test the final messages with a national sample of 480 indoor tanners. Results: Messages that emphasized skin cancer risk out-performed messages that focused on well-being enhancement or damage to appearance in terms of intention to quit indoor tanning. Analyses revealed 2 key mediators: perceived argument strength and beliefs related to the effects of indoor tanning. Conclusions: Theory- and evidence-informed public health communications can contribute to improving health-related behaviors. Focusing on the risk of skin cancer may be the most effective strategy to reduce indoor tanning among young white women.
Objectives: Indoor tanning, which is most common among 18-25-year-old white women, increases the risk of skin cancer. To address this problem, we developed and tested messages with a national sample of indoor tanners to determine beliefs that would encourage them to quit. Methods: Messages discouraging indoor tanning using different persuasive themes (skin cancer risk, appearance risk, well-being enhancement) were developed based on formative research and a review of intervention efforts. We conducted an online experiment to test the final messages with a national sample of 480 indoor tanners. Results: Messages that emphasized skin cancer risk out-performed messages that focused on well-being enhancement or damage to appearance in terms of intention to quit indoor tanning. Analyses revealed 2 key mediators: perceived argument strength and beliefs related to the effects of indoor tanning. Conclusions: Theory- and evidence-informed public health communications can contribute to improving health-related behaviors. Focusing on the risk of skin cancer may be the most effective strategy to reduce indoor tanning among young white women.