Evaluation of a Skin Self-Examination Programme: a Four-Stage Recursive Model

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Public Health
• Health Communication

Background:

• Skin cancer diagnosis and treatment are crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality.
• Effective skin self-examination (SSE) is key to early detection.
• Comparing educational interventions for SSE is important for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of DVD-based versus print-based educational materials on skin self-examination.
• To evaluate the impact of these interventions on diagnosed skin cancer rates.
• To identify optimal methods for skin cancer awareness programs.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of longitudinal data from the Randomized Skin Awareness Trial (n=984).
• Control group received printed materials; intervention group received additional DVD instruction.
• A recursive model was used to control for potential confounding variables in SSE.

Main Results:

• At six months, only the DVD intervention significantly increased diagnosed skin cancer.
• By 12 months, both DVD and print interventions were statistically significant.
• Print materials were 63% as effective as the DVD in increasing diagnosed skin cancer.

Conclusions:

• DVD-based instruction was associated with the largest increase in diagnosed skin cancer.
• Print materials also contributed to an increase in diagnosed skin cancer.
• Integrating both visual (DVD) and written communication is recommended for effective SSE programs.