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Niu Z, Heckman CJ. Digital Educational Strategies to Teach Skin Self-examination to Individuals at Risk for Skin Cancer. J Health Commun 2022; 27:790-800. [PMID: 36625227 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2022.2157910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and early detection of melanoma may lead to diagnosis of thinner and more treatable cancers, resulting in improved survival rates. This study examined the effects of message interactivity (high vs. low) and imagery (cartoon, real human character, or customized imagery preference) on accuracy of identifying abnormal skin lesions (ASL) and skin self-examination (SSE) intention. This study employed a 3 (cartoon character vs. real person vs. customization) x 2 (high interactivity vs. low interactivity) between-subjects online experimental design. Participants at risk for skin cancer were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions and completed a survey after reviewing the educational materials. Univariate analyses were conducted to detect group differences on the accuracy of identifying ASL and intention to conduct SSE in the next 3 months. Among 321 participants who completed the study, the mean age was 36.61 years, 56.7% were females, 76.1% had a college or higher degree, and over 60% self-identified as non-Hispanic White. Individuals in the high interactivity and customization group (compared to the low interactivity and cartoon group) were more likely to accurately identify ASL. Individuals in the high interactivity and customization or low interactivity and real person imagery groups (compared to the low interactivity and cartoon group) reported higher intention to conduct SSE in the next 3 months. These results suggest that customization and interactivity may be beneficial for educational programs or intervention design to improve both melanoma identification and SSE intention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaomeng Niu
- Department of Health Informatics, Rutgers School of Health Professions, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States
| | - Carolyn J Heckman
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
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Rafique N, Alkaltham GKI, Almulhim LAA, Al-Asoom LI, AlSunni AA, Latif R, AlSheikh MH, Yar T, Al Ghamdi KS, Alabdulhadi AS, Saudagar FN, Wasi S. Association Between Time Spent on Electronic Devices and Body Mass Index in Young Adults. J Multidiscip Healthc 2022; 15:2169-2176. [PMID: 36200002 PMCID: PMC9527697 DOI: 10.2147/jmdh.s376689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the association between time spent on electronic devices (TSED) and body mass index in young adults. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from June to December 2021 on 1877 students (aged 18–22 yrs) from multiple health Colleges of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. The main tools of the study were 1) Body mass index (BMI) and an online questionnaire. The subjects were categorized into 3 main groups based on their TSED: 1) Low TSED < 2 hours/day, 2) Medium TSED= 3 to 5 hours/day, 3) Excessive TSED ≥ 6 hours /day. Based on BMI, subjects were categorized into three main groups: Normal and underweight (BMI ≤ 24.9), overweight (BMI > 25–29.9), and obese (BMI > 30). Results Participants’ average age was 20 ± 2 years. The average BMI was 23.5 k/m2. The % of students falling into the categories of normal weight, overweight, and obesity was 69.2%, 19.05%, and 11.7% respectively. The average TSED of study participants was 8.2 ± 3.45 hrs /24 hours. 71.15% of participants indicated a TSED of ≥6 hrs/24 hours and 23.71% reported a TSED of 3–5 hrs/24 hours. Only 3.15% of participants reported TSED of ≤2 hrs/24 hours. Although a rise in the mean BMI was observed with an increase in the TSED, but this difference was not statistically significant. The pairwise wise comparison also failed to demonstrate any difference in BMI between different categories of TSED. Furthermore, no significant positive correlation was found between increased BMI and excessive TSED (P = 0.37). Conclusion A high percentage of young adults (31.2%) were overweight or obese, but excessive TSED was not significantly associated with increased BMI in this study population. Further studies are recommended to identify the effects of other factors in causing increased BMI in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazish Rafique
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence: Nazish Rafique, Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, PO Box: 1982, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 0535042329, Email
| | - Gaeda Khaled I Alkaltham
- Family Medicine Center King Fahad Hospital, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Lubna Ibrahim Al-Asoom
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed A AlSunni
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rabia Latif
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mona Hmoud AlSheikh
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Talay Yar
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kholoud S Al Ghamdi
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Farhat Nadeem Saudagar
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| | - Samina Wasi
- Department of Biochemistry, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
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Nittas V, Mütsch M, Frey T, Braun J, Puhan MA. Effectiveness of a tailored web app on sun protection intentions and its implications for skin cancer prevention: A randomized controlled trial. PLOS Digit Health 2022; 1:e0000032. [PMID: 36812525 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Skin cancers related to sunexposure are rising globally, yet largely preventable. Digital solutions enable individually tailored prevention and may play a crucial role in reducing disease burden. We developed SUNsitive, a theory-guided web app to facilitate sun protection and skin cancer prevention. The app collected relevant information through a questionnaire and provided tailored feedback on personal risk, adequate sun protection, skin cancer prevention, and overall skin health. SUNsitive's effect on sun protection intentions and a set of secondary outcomes was evaluated with a two-arm randomized controlled trial (n = 244). At 2 weeks post-intervention, we did not find any statistical evidence for the intervention's effect on the primary outcome or any of the secondary outcomes. However, both groups reported improved intentions to sun protect compared to their baseline values. Furthermore, our process outcomes suggest that approaching sun protection and skin cancer prevention with a digital tailored "questionnaire-feedback" format is feasible, well-perceived, and well accepted. Trial registration: Protocol registration: ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN10581468).
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Niu Z, Bhurosy T, Heckman CJ. Digital interventions for promoting sun protection and skin self-examination behaviors: A systematic review. Prev Med Rep 2022; 26:101709. [PMID: 35529530 PMCID: PMC9073560 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
A considerable number of digital interventions for skin cancer prevention have been evaluated. Most skin cancer digital interventions focus on sun protection-related outcomes. Most interventions use web-based digital technology (websites, webpages, mobile apps) rather than videos, emails or text messages alone as the delivery platform. Multi-component digital interventions are effective in promoting sun protection and skin self-examination. Almost all studies found digital interventions to be equally or more effective compared to non-digital interventions.
The skin cancer incidence rate has been rising, and digital health interventions can promote skin cancer prevention and detection behaviors. A systematic review was conducted to investigate the outcomes of digital interventions that promote sun protection and skin self-examination (SSE). This review examined studies that utilized randomized controlled designs or quasi-experiments, included outcomes related to sun safety or SSE, employed at least one digital platform, and were published in English from January 2000 to October 2020. A total of 62 studies were included in the review. Digital modalities included web-based (e.g., websites) alone (n = 29), mobile-based (e.g., mobile apps) alone (n = 12), game-based (n = 1), emails or text messages alone (n = 8), videos alone (n = 6), social media (n = 3), both text messages and mobile apps (n = 2), or both text messages and video (n = 1). Most studies (n = 44) only evaluated sun protection-related outcomes, seven studies assessed SSE outcomes only, nine studies examined both, and two assessed other related outcomes. Digital interventions are effective compared to non-intervention control conditions in promoting sun safety or SSE. Almost all studies found digital interventions to be equally or more effective compared to non-digital interventions. This review suggests that although the digital interventions varied, they showed promising effects on improving sun protection or SSE outcomes. Future research should include more sophisticated phase-based and rigorous longitudinal research designs, additional investigation of social media and other newer technologies, as well as more detailed reporting of methods and results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaomeng Niu
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, United States
- Corresponding author.
| | - Trishnee Bhurosy
- Department of Population Health, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, United States
| | - Carolyn J. Heckman
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, United States
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Abstract
College drinking, often associated with college binge drinking, is a critical issue in the United States and may lead to harmful consequences such as academic failure, injury, sexual assault, and even death. Health interventions targeted at reducing problematic drinking are needed to help prevent these harmful behaviors among college students. The current work explores the intersection of different types of information sources (e.g., authority and peer) and perceived customization on various health-related outcomes related to college drinking (e.g., trust, attitudes, and behavioral intentions). Undergraduate students (N = 448) were presented with health information regarding college drinking in a 2 (perceived customization or non-customization) × 3 (authority, peer, or technology source) between-subjects experimental design. We found a strong effect of peer source of health information, somewhat surprisingly more effective than information from a professional source (i.e., a medical physician). Moreover, the results underscore the importance of not only promoting perceived customization but also fostering a sense of agency with such interface features. Theoretical and practical implications for health-related outcomes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaomeng Niu
- Population Science, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey
| | - David C Jeong
- Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California
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Niu Z, Willoughby JF, Coups EJ, Stapleton JL. Effects of Website Interactivity on Skin Cancer-Related Intentions and User Experience: Factorial Randomized Experiment. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e18299. [PMID: 33439131 PMCID: PMC7840277 DOI: 10.2196/18299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Digital media technologies provide users with the ability to interact with content and to receive information based on their preferences and engagement. OBJECTIVE We used skin cancer and sun protection as a health topic to explore how modality interactivity, interface tools that afford users greater activity, resulting in greater depth and breadth of mentally representing and experiencing mediated content, and message interactivity, the extent to which the system allows users to exchange messages back and forth on health websites, influenced users' attitudes, knowledge, behavioral intentions, and experience. METHODS We employed a 2×2 (modality interactivity: high vs low; message interactivity: high vs low) between-subject online experiment for which 4 websites were created. Participants (n=293) were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk and randomly assigned into to 1 of 4 conditions. After browsing the website, participants completed an online survey regarding their experience and cognitive perceptions. General linear models and path analysis were used to analyze the data. RESULTS Both modality interactivity (P=.001) and message interactivity (P<.001) had an impact on intention to use sun protection. Attitudes toward health websites and perceived knowledge mediated the effects of modality interactivity and message interactivity on sun protection use intention, individually. Participants in the high modality interactivity and high message interactivity condition felt more satisfied (P=.02). Participants in the low message interactivity condition had more interest in the experience with health websites than participants in the high message interactivity condition (P=.044). CONCLUSIONS Findings suggested that modality interactivity influenced intention to use sun protection directly as well as via attitudes toward the websites. Message interactivity impacted intention to use sunscreen directly and also through perceived knowledge. Implications for designing health websites and health intervention content are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaomeng Niu
- Section of Behavioral Sciences, Division of Medical Oncology, Rutgers Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Jessica Fitts Willoughby
- The Edward R Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | | | - Jerod L Stapleton
- Department of Health, Behavior & Society, College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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