Effective Prevention Messages Research Articles

Factors associated with compliance to cervical cancer screening in France: The EDIFICE 6 survey

IntroductionA nationwide cervical cancer (CC) screening program was implemented in France in 2018. Asymptomatic women are invited for a cytological test once every 3 years (age, 25–29 years), and an HPV test every 5 years (age, 30–65 years). We investigated the characteristics of women who are resistant to CC screening. MethodsSince 2005, the EDIFICE survey program has assessed attitudes toward cancer screening in France. The 6th edition (2017) included 12,046 representative women (age, 18–69 years). Social vulnerability was assessed using the EPICES score. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis identified factors correlated with nonuptake of CC screening. ResultsQuestionnaires from 4499 women (age, 25–65 years) with no history of cancer were analyzed; 88% (N = 3960) reported at least one test in their lifetime, and 73% (N = 3262) did the test in the previous 3 years. Compared to ever-screened women, never-screened women were younger (38 ± 11 yrs. vs 44 ± 12 yrs., P < 0.05), and more likely to be single (48% vs 20%, P < 0.05) and/or socially vulnerable (59% vs 38%, P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, items significantly (P < 0.05) associated with never screening included living alone (OR = 2.26, 95% CI [1.85–2.75]) and social vulnerability (OR = 1.95 [1.59–2.40]). Women who were not compliant with recommendations were more likely to be older (mean age, 49.2 yrs. vs. 43.2 yrs), living alone (single, widowed or divorced, 40% vs. 30%, P < 0.05), and/or socially vulnerable (55% vs. 35%, P < 0.05; OR = 1.78, 95% CI [1.49–2.12]). ConclusionThis analysis identified several factors associated with never screening and under-screening. Effective prevention messages should specifically target these populations.

All pins are not created equal: communicating skin cancer visually on Pinterest.

Skin cancer is the second most common cancer affecting women younger than 39 years in the USA. As a female-oriented social media, Pinterest could be effectively used in reaching this particular demographic group for the purpose of skin cancer education. We analyze the visual characteristics of skin cancer pins, including use of human image, use of fear-invoking image, pin composition, color, and text legibility. We also explore how these visual characteristics as well as information richness predict Pinterest users' participative engagement. A combination of descriptive and predictive content analysis of 708 pins is conducted. The demographic characteristics of human models are consistent with epidemiology data. Text legibility in bodycopy is low. Information richness is a significant predictor of number of repins in all pins except pins on melanoma with human models. In the case of latter, pin composition, gender of human models, and fear-invoking images were associated with the number of repins. A number of visual characteristics as well as information richness significantly predict Pinterest users' participant engagement with pins on skin cancer. Public health professionals should consider these factors in creating effective prevention messages to be circulated on Pinterest.

Young Adults' Exposure to Alcohol- and Marijuana-Related Content on Twitter.

Twitter is among the most popular social media platforms used by young adults, yet it has been underutilized in substance use research compared with older platforms (e.g., MySpace and Facebook). We took a first step toward studying the associations between exposure to pro-alcohol- and marijuana-related content among young adults via Twitter and current heavy episodic drinking and current marijuana use, respectively. We conducted an online survey of 587 (254 men, 333 women) Twitter users between ages 18 and 25 years in February 2014 using an online survey system that has been previously used in research on health behaviors and attitudes. Current heavy episodic drinking was significantly associated with higher levels of exposure to pro-alcohol content. Similarly, current marijuana use was significantly associated with higher levels of exposure to pro-marijuana content. Our findings suggest that in-depth research regarding young adults' exposure to pro-alcohol- and marijuana-related content via Twitter may provide a foundation for developing effective prevention messages on this social media platform to counter the pro-alcohol and marijuana messages.

Abstracts of the Safe States 2015 Annual Meeting, April 29th–May 1st, 2015, Atlanta, GA.

Statement of purpose In order to maximise injury and violence professionals’ collaboration potential in the digital space, the CDC National Centre for Injury Prevention and Control (Injury Centre) coached almost 300 attendees in a series of webinars, dedicated to the prospect of instruction in the utility and best use of social media for injury and violence prevention. Through September–December 2014, the webinars covered the topics of why social media for injury and violence prevention, getting started in social media, developing content and engagement, and metrics and evaluation. Methods/Approach By collaborating with the Safe States organisation, the CDC Injury Centre was able to tap directly into the audience, dedicated to the development and promotion of injury and violence prevention programs. By breaking up the webinars into social media topic-based segments, the trainings were able to reach professionals at any stage of development of their social media programs. At the end of each webinar, the presenter provided opportunities for the attendees to put their new education into practice through suggested homework assignments for their own individual or organisational social media development needs. Results The webinars have had good registration, attendee, and engagement rates, with unique questions posed by participants. Final assessments will include attendee data on years in the field, comfort level in using social media before and after the series, and overall satisfaction with the information provided in the webinar series. This data will be compiled through registration and post-webinar survey responses. Conclusions The growing field of injury and violence prevention needs support in social media program and content development. With support from larger organisations, state and local organisations may have the capacity to reach their own constituents though advanced digital and interactive communications. Significance and contribution to the field With a broader knowledge of how to implement, engage, and measure social media programs, injury and violence professionals will be able to not only reach their audiences with effective prevention messages, but also be able to collaborate across organisations and disciplines more effective prevention communications.

Predictive Validity of the Expanded Susceptibility to Smoke Index.

The susceptibility to smoking index can be improved as it only identifies one third of future adult smokers. Adding curiosity to this index may increase the identification of future smokers and improve the identification of effective prevention messages. Analyses used data from the California Longitudinal Study of Smoking Transitions in Youth, for whom tobacco use behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs were assessed at 3 time points from age 12 through early adulthood. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate whether baseline curiosity about smoking was predictive of smoking during the 6-year follow-up period and whether curiosity about smoking provided evidence of incremental validity over existing measures of susceptibility to smoking. Compared to those who were classified as definitely not curious about smoking, teens who were classified as probably not curious (OR adj = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.28-2.81) and those classified as definitely curious (OR adj = 2.38, 95% CI= 1.49-3.79) had an increase in the odds of becoming a young adult smoker. Adding curiosity to the original susceptibility to smoking index increased the sensitivity of the enhanced susceptibility index to 78.9% compared to 62.2% identified by the original susceptibility index. However, a loss of specificity meant there was no improvement in the positive predictive value. The enhanced susceptibility index significantly improves identification of teens at risk for becoming young adult smokers. Thus, this enhanced index is preferred for identifying and testing potentially effective prevention messages.

Commentary: eight ways to prevent cancer: a framework for effective prevention messages for the public.

Research over the past 40 years has convincingly shown that lifestyle factors play a huge role in cancer incidence and mortality. The public, though, can often discount the preventability of cancer. That health information on the Internet is a vast and often scientifically suspect commodity makes promoting important and sound cancer prevention messages to the public even more difficult. To help address these issues and improve the public's knowledge of, and attitudes toward, cancer prevention, there need to be concerted efforts to create evidence-based, user-friendly information about behaviors that could greatly reduce overall cancer risk. Toward this end, we condensed the current scientific evidence on the topic into eight key behaviors. While not an end in themselves, "Eight Ways to Stay Healthy and Prevent Cancer" forms an evidence-based and targeted framework that supports broader cancer prevention efforts.

‘It was a freak accident’: an analysis of the labelling of injury events in the US press

ObjectivesGiven that the news media shape our understanding of health issues, a study was undertaken to examine the use by the US media of the expression ‘freak accident’ in relation...

Developing Teen Dating Violence Prevention Strategies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) peaks in youth and young adulthood and is associated with multiple adolescent risk behaviors and negative health outcomes. Targeting youth with prevention messages before they start dating may avert teen dating violence and subsequent adult IPV. This article discusses findings from focus groups with middle school youth to determine behaviors and beliefs regarding dating violence. To develop effective prevention messages, participants were asked questions about characteristics of middle school dating relationships, healthy relationships, relationship norms, unhealthy relationships, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, intervening in violent situations, and trusted sources for information about dating violence. The recommendations for prevention efforts include an emphasis on skill building, tailoring efforts for particular subgroups, and identifying innovative ways of reaching youth.

Risk Behaviors in MSM Who Find Sex Partners on the Internet

Prevention messages targeted at recently infected patients have the potential to substantially reduce HIV transmission. Understanding risk-taking behaviors in such individuals is critical to crafting more effective prevention messages. To determine whether finding sex partners on the Internet is associated with high-risk sexual behavior, investigators in southern California evaluated questionnaire data from 194 recently infected men who …

Associations Between Message Features and Subjective Evaluations of the Sensation Value of Antidrug Public Service Announcements

The effective targeting of high sensation-seeking adolescents, who are most at risk for drug abuse, requires the creation of high sensation value messages. Whereas previous research has focused on subjective reactions of receivers as the primary way to define message sensation value (MSV), we conceptualize message sensation value as the formal and content features (audio, visual, and format) of a message that contribute to subjective message sensation evaluations. The three objectives of this study were (a) to identify message design features that would aid in the development of effective prevention messages targeting high sensation seekers, (b) to develop an objective measure of message sensation value based on formal and content features of messages, and (c) to determine whether high message sensation value messages were associated with higher subjective evaluations of message sensation value. In the present study, 418 undergraduates each viewed 10 PSAs selected at random from a pool of 109 PSAs that had been previously coded for message sensation value. Analyses provide support for the central hypothesis of the study, indicating that perceived message sensation value is at least in part a product of the formal and content features of a PSA.