Abstract
Skin cancer rates are rising in the United States, yet screening rates remain low. Meanwhile, social media has evolved to become a primary source of health information, with 40% of daily users of Pinterest reporting the platform as a “go-to” source. The objective of this research paper is to examine how skin cancer screenings were portrayed on Pinterest. Using the search terms “skin cancer screening” and “skin cancer exam”, researchers sampled every fifth pin to collect 274 relevant pins. Two researchers coded the pins, and interrater agreement was established at 94%. The results showed that twenty-two percent of the sample depicted skin cancer screening in a negative way, yet 41.5% noted that early detection leads to better outcomes. The pins were geared toward younger, white women with minimal depiction of people of color. Few pins included comprehensive information about skin cancer risk factors, importance of routine self-screenings, or what to expect with a medical provider. Fifty-eight percent of pins included links to personal blogs. In conclusion, social media has become a powerful source of health information, yet much of the posted information is incomplete. These findings present public health experts with an opportunity to disseminate more comprehensive skin cancer screening information on social media.
Highlights
Academic Editors: Albert BoonstraSkin cancer screenings—either a self-skin examination or a total body skin examination conducted by a dermatologist—can reduce melanoma mortality rates by 65% [1,2]. there are no national guidelines for skin cancer screenings, the leading skin cancer prevention organizations such as the American Cancer Society and American Academy of Dermatology recommend that people conduct monthly skin examinations to look for changes [3]
The overarching research question was to examine how skin cancer screenings were portrayed on Pinterest
The majority of the pins did not have a clear message about the benefit of skin cancer screenings (50.8%, n = 125; 45.1% (n = 111) emphasized that early detection of cancer leads to better outcomes
Summary
Skin cancer screenings—either a self-skin examination or a total body skin examination conducted by a dermatologist—can reduce melanoma mortality rates by 65% [1,2]. There are no national guidelines for skin cancer screenings, the leading skin cancer prevention organizations such as the American Cancer Society and American Academy of Dermatology recommend that people conduct monthly skin examinations to look for changes [3]. Skin cancer screenings are quick, noninvasive, and relatively inexpensive (free for self-skin examination, and most total body skin examinations are covered by insurance), rates are low. Various studies have found rates from 9% to 18% of US adults that reported checking their skin for signs of skin cancer and roughly 20% of adults that reported having a total body skin examination by a healthcare provider [8–16]. Social media has evolved to become a primary source of health information, often replacing the guidance of healthcare providers. Social media platforms have become even more powerful sources of health information because there is a feeling of a trusted relationship with the person or company sharing the post, pin, article, or video
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