Bodenmann, Samuel, and Caltabiano, Marie L. (2024) Sun safety in young Queensland adults: behaviours, knowledge, and responses to health-based and appearance-based text messages. Australian Psychologist. (In Press)

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Abstract

Objective: High melanoma rates in Queensland, Australia suggest that sun protection campaign message content may require revision. The aim of this experimental study was to explore young Queensland adults’ sun-related exposure and knowledge level, before investigating the effectiveness of five text health messages at improving sun protection intentions.

Methods: Ninety-five young adults aged 17 to 24 years participated in the study. Most intervention content was modelled on Protection Motivation Theory. The texts allowed for the comparison of fear appeals with and without efficacy messages, health-versus appearance-based messages, and the exploration of understudied, appearance-based message content alluding to melanoma surgery scarring.

Results: Proportionally, significantly more females (60.34%) sunbathed compared to males [26.47%, χ2 (1, n = 92) = 8.55, p = .003, phi = -.33], and females (M = 16.03) had significantly greater knowledge levels than males [M = 12.81, t(89), -.3.99, p < .001, η2 = .01]. There was no difference between health and appearance-based messages on participants’ sun protection intentions as assessed by the Protection Motivation Theory χ2 (5, n = 94) = 2.97, p = .704.

Conclusions: Future research should contribute to the debates surrounding fear appeals and health-versus appearance-based messages with different communication modalities. Health promotion campaigns on sun protection should target message content to audiences.

Item ID:	83443
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1742-9544
Keywords:	sun protective intentions, Protection Motivation theory, health-based messages,appearance-based messages
Copyright Information:	© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Date Deposited:	13 Aug 2024 23:41
FoR Codes:	52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5203 Clinical and health psychology > 520304 Health psychology @ 100%
SEO Codes:	20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200401 Behaviour and health @ 100%
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