Adolescents' awareness of cancer risk factors and associations with health-related behaviours

Kyle, Richard G.; Nicoll, Avril; Forbat, Liz; Hubbard, Gill

doi:10.1093/her/cyt055

Cited by 41 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Cancer Similar findings have been reported in a controlled study in four UK schools, where the authors assessed the effectiveness of an educational intervention delivered by Teenage Cancer Trust [25]. Besides, fairly similar awareness of lung cancer risk factors was observed among both British and Colombian adolescents [25]; while higher levels of awareness have been found in German high school students, 92% of the German scholars identified smoking as a risk factor for lung cancer [26].…”

Section: Awareness Of Warning Signs and Risk Factors For Lungsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Besides, fairly similar awareness of lung cancer risk factors was observed among both British and Colombian adolescents [25]; while higher levels of awareness have been found in German high school students, 92% of the German scholars identified smoking as a risk factor for lung cancer [26]. The present educational intervention raised female scholars' awareness on lung cancer prevention through healthy lifestyles.…”

Section: Awareness Of Warning Signs and Risk Factors For Lungsupporting

confidence: 69%

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Raising Awareness for Lung Cancer Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles in Female Scholars from a Low-Income Area in Bogota, Colombia: Evaluation of a National Framework

2017

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This study aims to determine the effects of an educational intervention, based on the Colombian guidelines for educational communication in the framework of cancer control, for raising lung cancer prevention-related awareness, and improving healthy lifestyles in female scholars from a lowincome area in Bogota, Colombia. Uncontrolled trial conducted in 243 female scholars (mean age 14 years ± 1.5 SD). Two 90 min educational sessions were carried out in March 2015 according to the Colombian guidelines for educational communication in the framework of cancer control. Posters and other educational materials were created by scholars after the intervention. All participants completed a self-reported questionnaire-The Cancer Awareness Measure-at pre and postintervention, as well as 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention. Smoking prevalence (8.2% at baseline) was reduced by 3.7% at 6 months follow-up (p < 0.005). The scholars exhibited low to moderate awareness of both warning signs and risk factors for lung cancer at baseline. These variables showed statistically significant improvements at 6 months follow-up (p < 0.005). Similar improvements were also found for physical activity, high-fat diet, and fruits and vegetable intake. This evaluation of the Colombian guidelines for educational communication in the framework of cancer control raised awareness towards lung cancer prevention, reduced smoking, and improved other healthy-lifestyle-related factors in a group of female scholars from a low-income area in Bogota, Colombia. Further randomized controlled studies are needed.

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Section: Awareness Of Warning Signs and Risk Factors For Lungsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Awareness Of Warning Signs and Risk Factors For Lungsupporting

confidence: 69%

Raising Awareness for Lung Cancer Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles in Female Scholars from a Low-Income Area in Bogota, Colombia: Evaluation of a National Framework

2017

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“…Awareness of the skin cancer-related risk factor ‘getting sunburnt more than once as a child’ was assessed alongside 10 other cancer risk factors on a five-point Likert scale. In accordance with previous practice,21 25 responses were dichotomised for analysis (ie, mole: ‘yes’ vs ‘no’/‘don't know’; sunburn: ‘strongly agree’/‘agree’ vs ‘not sure’/‘disagree’/‘strongly disagree’).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only one UK study to date has examined the association between sunscreen and sunbed use and cancer awareness, which found that female adolescents who used sunbeds were statistically significantly more likely to agree that UV exposure was a cancer risk factor 21. Moreover, patterns of sun-related behaviours (ie, sunbathing and sunburn) and protective practices (ie, sunscreen use) and tanning attitudes among Scottish adolescents have not previously been described.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours, tanning attitudes and associations with skin cancer awareness: a cross-sectional study

Kyle

MacMillan²,

Forbat

et al. 2014

BMJ Open

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ObjectivesTo describe Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours and tanning attitudes and assess associations with skin cancer awareness.DesignCross-sectional study.Setting20 state secondary schools in one Scottish local authority (Glasgow City).Participants2173 adolescents (females: 50.7%, n=1102) with a mean age of 12.4 (SD=0.55).Outcome measuresSun-related behaviour (suntan, sunbathing, sunburn, sunscreen use, sunbed use), tanning attitudes, skin cancer-related symptom and risk factor awareness.ResultsAdolescents reported poor sun-related practice: 51% of adolescents reported sunburn the previous summer of whom 38% indicated sunburn on more than one occasion. Skin cancer awareness was low: 45% recognised ‘change in the appearance of a mole’ as a cancer symptom, and 39% agreed that ‘getting sunburnt more than once as a child’ increased cancer risk. 42% and 26% of adolescents, respectively, reported that friends and family held protanning attitudes. Compared with males, females were statistically significantly more likely to: report sunbathing (p<0.001), use of lotions or oil to aid tanning (p=0.009) and sunburn (p<0.001); know that changes in the appearance of a mole was a skin cancer symptom (p=0.036) and sunburn more than once as a child was a skin cancer risk factor (p=0.005); perceive their friends to hold protanning attitudes (p<0.001) and indicate that a tan made them feel better about themselves (p<0.001), more attractive to others (p=0.011) and healthier (p<0.001).ConclusionsScottish adolescents had poor sun protection practice and low skin cancer awareness. Girls adopted riskier sun-related behaviour despite greater awareness of skin cancer-related risk. Urgent action is required to promote positive sun-related behaviour and increase skin cancer awareness among Scottish adolescents. However, further research is needed to inform the development of effective sun-safe interventions.

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“…In fact, it is more common to associate a cancer diagnosis to an older person than to a young person [8], especially in developed countries where aging populations are fuelling the burden of cancer [1,2,[9][10][11]. However, aging is not the only factor associated with cancer: more than half of the deaths from cancer are attributed to unhealthy behaviour options [12], which frequently are shaped during adolescence, like tobacco consumption [13]. Adolescents and young adults are thus preferential targets for cancer prevention education because they are in the age of active learning.…”

Section: The Potential Of Youth For Primary Prevention Of Cancermentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cancer, Educate to Prevent Model—the Potential of School Environment for Primary Prevention of Cancer

et al. 2015

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Cancer represents one of the main causes of death worldwide; consequently, preventive interventions are of utmost importance in public health education. The leading model of cancer prevention campaigns is based on general and undifferentiated actions mediated by health professionals, focusing on the technical and scientific information but rather ineffective in changing the symbolic, cognitive and practical relationship with the disease. New intervention models are thus required to address cancer literacy, being early interventions targeted to specific groups an elective counterpoint to contribute to positive and durable changes in cancer prevention. Our aim is to evaluate the feasibility and impact of cancer prevention programmes planned as focused interventions in restricted targets and mediated by non-healthcare professionals to increase cancer literacy and promote preventive behaviours. This pilot study evaluates schools' potential as a vehicle for cancer prevention education in a reality shaped by traditional health prevention campaigns. We developed a protocol of systematic surveying in order to review and, in the future, optimize and replicate this ecological model of intervention to other groups and contexts. The implementation of this model has been successful in which concerns to the effectiveness of the training programme for teachers. This led to the development of impactful cancer prevention education projects by trainees targeted to their students, allowing us to argue that it contributes to knowledge and practice in this complex as consensual priority area of intervention.

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Adolescents' awareness of cancer risk factors and associations with health-related behaviours

Cited by 41 publications

References 19 publications

Raising Awareness for Lung Cancer Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles in Female Scholars from a Low-Income Area in Bogota, Colombia: Evaluation of a National Framework

Raising Awareness for Lung Cancer Prevention and Healthy Lifestyles in Female Scholars from a Low-Income Area in Bogota, Colombia: Evaluation of a National Framework

Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours, tanning attitudes and associations with skin cancer awareness: a cross-sectional study

The Cancer, Educate to Prevent Model—the Potential of School Environment for Primary Prevention of Cancer

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