Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Intentions and Behavior

Abstract

This longitudinal study examined predictors of (1) skin cancer prevention and early detection intentions and (2) compliance with recommendation for medical follow-up for suspicious skin lesions. Subjects were 324 hospital employees who were at increased risk for skin cancer and who participated in a worksite skin cancer screening program. Based on behavioral self-regulation theory and the Health Belief Model, multivariate analyses showed that optimism, perceived risk, reasons for doing skin self-examination (SSE), and SSE frequency prior to screening were the best predictors of intentions to engage in future health promotion behaviors (i.e., monthly SSE, regular sunscreen use, and participation in a skin cancer screening program the following year). Although our results also showed that optimism, reasons for doing SSE, and SSE frequency were the best predictors of compliance with medical follow-up, these three variables accounted for only a small amount of the variance in compliance with recommended follow-up care.