Application of the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) in Teaching Skin Cancer Prevention Behaviors in Male Students

Abstract

Adolescents are at high risk of skin cancer. Since protecting the skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays is an important way to prevent this disease, the present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching skin cancer prevention behaviors using the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) in male students in Isfahan. An intervention study examined change in attitudes and behaviors among 104, 13-year-old male students from two schools in Isfahan, Iran. The schools were randomized to either receive or not receive a 5-session skin cancer prevention curriculum based in PMT theory. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire that included demographic, PMT, and behavior construct variables. Questionnaires were completed by both groups before and 2 months after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20, chi-square test, Mann-Whitney test, paired t-test, and McNemar's test. The results indicated that the mean scores of all constructs of PMT increased in the intervention group compared to the baseline assessment, except for the response cost (P < 0.001). The mean score of students' skin cancer preventive behaviors was 39.6 (21.4) in the intervention group, and it increased to 74.7 (23.5) after educational intervention, while the control group did not exhibit any significant behavior change. The intervention certainly shows the potential for being effective over the short-term. Therefore, it is recommended that PMT-based educational interventions be designed to teach and promote social health, particularly at an early age.

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“…The PMT is one of the educational theories in health education which is used to change health‐related behaviors. This theory is based on the value expectancy theory which has been used to investigate the factors affecting motivation and individual health behavior 13,14 …”

“…This theory is based on the value expectancy theory which has been used to investigate the factors affecting motivation and individual health behavior. 13,14 According to Rogers, fear affects protection motivation or intention through five constructs to behave protectively against health risk and the motivation for protection ultimately stimulates health behavior. These five constructs include: (1) self-efficacy (a person's belief that she/he can perform protective behaviors successfully), (2) perceived response efficiency (a person's expectation that a consistent response, which is a protective behavior against health risk, can eliminate the risk), (3) perceived susceptibility (a person's belief that she/he is vulnerable to a health risk), (4) perceived severity (a person's belief that the risk is serious), (5) perceived response cost (a person's estimate of the costs related to his/her protective behavior such as money, person, time, effort).…”

“…This theory is based on the value expectancy theory which has been used to investigate the factors affecting motivation and individual health behavior. 13 , 14 …”