Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?

Objectives: To date, tanning prevention programs have led to limited success. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential unexpected prevention effects of completing an online survey focused on tanning attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge among female college tanners. Methods: A sample...

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Main Authors: Rachel F. Rodgers, Debra L. Franko, Mark Gottlieb, Richard Daynard
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2015-01-01
Series:Preventive Medicine Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335515000030
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author Rachel F. Rodgers
Debra L. Franko
Mark Gottlieb
Richard Daynard
author_facet Rachel F. Rodgers
Debra L. Franko
Mark Gottlieb
Richard Daynard
author_sort Rachel F. Rodgers
collection DOAJ
description Objectives: To date, tanning prevention programs have led to limited success. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential unexpected prevention effects of completing an online survey focused on tanning attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge among female college tanners. Methods: A sample of 92 female undergraduate students from the USA, mean age = 20.09, SD = 1.41 years, who engaged in indoor tanning completed an online survey assessing awareness of tanning-related health risks, appearance-based motivations to tan and not to tan, media literacy related to tanning marketing, and tanning behaviors in 2013. Four months later, participants were invited to complete a follow-up survey assessing tanning intentions and behaviors since completing the initial survey. Results: Fifty-one participants (55%) completed the follow-up questions, of whom 43 (84.3%) reported having decreased or ceased engaging in indoor tanning. In addition participants provided comments indicating that completing the survey had lead to decreases in their tanning behaviors. Conclusions: Our study presents novel and compelling support for using brief online surveys for decreasing health-risk behaviors such as sunbed use. Such measures are extremely cost-effective and easy to disseminate and implement. Replication and extension of these findings are warranted.
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spelling doaj.art-2d6a733ead1e47c696b8e2901c372bcd2022-12-22T01:23:56ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552015-01-012C767810.1016/j.pmedr.2015.01.002Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?Rachel F. Rodgers0Debra L. Franko1Mark Gottlieb2Richard Daynard3Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 02115 Boston, USADepartment of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 02115 Boston, USAPublic Health Advocacy Institute, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 02115 Boston, USAPublic Health Advocacy Institute, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, 02115 Boston, USAObjectives: To date, tanning prevention programs have led to limited success. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential unexpected prevention effects of completing an online survey focused on tanning attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge among female college tanners. Methods: A sample of 92 female undergraduate students from the USA, mean age = 20.09, SD = 1.41 years, who engaged in indoor tanning completed an online survey assessing awareness of tanning-related health risks, appearance-based motivations to tan and not to tan, media literacy related to tanning marketing, and tanning behaviors in 2013. Four months later, participants were invited to complete a follow-up survey assessing tanning intentions and behaviors since completing the initial survey. Results: Fifty-one participants (55%) completed the follow-up questions, of whom 43 (84.3%) reported having decreased or ceased engaging in indoor tanning. In addition participants provided comments indicating that completing the survey had lead to decreases in their tanning behaviors. Conclusions: Our study presents novel and compelling support for using brief online surveys for decreasing health-risk behaviors such as sunbed use. Such measures are extremely cost-effective and easy to disseminate and implement. Replication and extension of these findings are warranted.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335515000030TanningStudentsPrevention
spellingShingle Rachel F. Rodgers
Debra L. Franko
Mark Gottlieb
Richard Daynard
Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?
Preventive Medicine Reports
Tanning
Students
Prevention
title Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?
title_full Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?
title_fullStr Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?
title_full_unstemmed Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?
title_short Decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey: Potential for prevention?
title_sort decreases in tanning behaviors following a short online survey potential for prevention
topic Tanning
Students
Prevention
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335515000030
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AT richarddaynard decreasesintanningbehaviorsfollowingashortonlinesurveypotentialforprevention