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Acceptance by Swedish users of a multimedia program for primary and secondary prevention of malignant melanoma
L H Lindholm1, A Isacsson, B Slaug
1Department of Community Health Sciences, Dalby/Lund, Lund University, Helgeandsgatan, Sweden.
Background:
In Sweden, the incidence of malignant melanoma of the skin is rapidly increasing, and the disease is now one of the ten most common tumor types. The objectives were to apply multimedia techniques to increase public knowledge about malignant melanoma and its risk factors, to increase awareness of preventive measures, and to make people more disposed to change their sunbathing habits.
Methods:
A trilingual (Swedish, English, and German) multimedia program was developed for two target groups, health care personnel and the general public, with a total of >500 "pages" in each language. User reactions were studied on-site at a municipal pharmacy and library, where the program was available in a kiosk with touch-screen.
Results:
Practically all 274 users interviewed found the program easy to use and understand. 92% identified one or more of the recommendations given. 66% found the program information "worrying," and 29%--mainly young women-instantly declared that they were going to change their sun-exposure behaviors. No correlation to skin type was found.
Conclusions:
A multimedia program of the present design seems to be a useful tool for health promotion.