The Slip Slop Slap years: Have they had a lasting impact on today's adolescents?

Abstract

Issue addressed: During the 1980s and 1990s adolescents' level of sun protection remained low while other age groups made positive changes to their sun protection practices. A qualitative exploration of the perceptions of 12-17 year olds regarding sun protection media messages was conducted to provide background data for the development of future campaigns. Methods: Seventeen focus group discussions were held with high school students in three public high schools in New South Wales. The focus groups were segregated by age and gender. Results: Messages such as 'Slip Slop Slap' were highly salient with most groups. Participants perceived these messages to be highly relevant during their childhood, while having limited impact during adolescence. There was evidence of both positive and negative associations with these campaigns. Participants expressed preferences for either humour-based or very graphic campaigns. Conclusions: The strong mnemonic value and remembered appeal of previous campaigns provides a foundation that future campaigns might build on, while taking into consideration adolescents' desire to distance themselves from the childlike associations of such messages. (author abstract)