Effect of Stimuli on Sun Protective Habits: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND: Visual imagery has been shown to improve adherence to health messages but has been scarcely investigated in sun-protection campaigns.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of photo- and textual-based sun-protective messages in a largely Hispanic population.

METHODS: One-hundred forty-five participants received standard of care (SOC) as defined as sun-protective counseling and were then randomized to receive either (a) images of sun-damage, (b) a textual pamphlet about sun damage, or (c) no further messages. Analysis-of-variance tests for repeated measures were used to estimate the effects of the different stimuli on participants' knowledge and intention to sun-protect.

RESULTS: All stimuli groups demonstrated an improvement in perceived effectiveness of sun-protective habits (p<0.05). However, photo and textual stimuli were both more effective than SOC in improving intentions to sun-protect (p<0.05), but there was no differential effect between the two.

CONCLUSIONS: Both photo and textual stimuli were more effective than SOC in improving intentions to sun-protect, but there was no differential effect between the two. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.