Community-based cancer prevention--the Stockholm Cancer Prevention Program

The Stockholm Cancer Prevention Program (SCPP) is among the first comprehensive community intervention programs in the world aimed at reducing cancer incidence and mortality. The program began in 1987 in an urban area with more than 1.6 million inhabitants. In its work, SCPP utilizes a community-based approach focusing on (1) reduction in tobacco consumption, (2) reduction in dietary fat consumption and increase in dietary fiber consumption, and (3) changing sunbathing behavior in order to reduce the incidence of malignant melanoma. The overall philosophy of the program is to initiate activities capable of affecting the life style of the Stockholm population in these directions. SCPP intends to influence behavior through individual face-to-face contact. The tool for this contact is collaboration with independent organizations which are already active in the target communities. Food supply to the general public will be influenced through food producers, wholesalers, retailers, and caterers. Tobacco use, food habits, and sunbathing habits will be influenced via occupational health services; public health services including primary care, schools and municipal social services; voluntary organizations; and mass media. A model for possible ways of evaluating the program has been designed.