Partnering With Massage Therapists to Communicate Information on Reducing the Risk of Skin Cancer Among Clients:...

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Public Health
• Health Education

Background:

• Skin cancer is a significant public health concern in the US.
• Massage therapists (MTs) are uniquely positioned to discuss skin cancer risk reduction with clients.
• Brief behavioral interventions, or "helping conversations," can be initiated by MTs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of recruiting, enrolling, and retaining Arizona MTs in an online skin cancer prevention e-training.
• To assess the preliminary efficacy of this e-training on MTs' knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to skin cancer risk reduction.
• To explore MTs' ability to identify suspicious skin lesions.

Main Methods:

• Adapted existing skin cancer educational content and "helping conversation" strategies for MTs.
• Utilized Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) for feasibility assessment.
• Assessed preliminary efficacy via self-report surveys at baseline, immediately post-training, and at 3 and 6 months.

Main Results:

• High enrollment (95 participants) and retention (77% at 6 months) were achieved.
• Participants reported high satisfaction and acceptability of the e-training.
• Significant improvements in knowledge, personal behaviors (e.g., sun protection), and practice attitudes regarding skin cancer risk reduction were sustained.

Conclusions:

• Online e-training for MTs on skin cancer prevention is feasible and well-accepted.
• This e-training demonstrates potential as an effective intervention for larger trials.
• MTs can be successfully trained to contribute to skin cancer risk reduction efforts.