FRIDAY, July 22 (HealthDay News) -- Targeted interventions increase the proportion of men 50 years and older conducting skin self-examination (SSE), but additional DVD or video-based intervention shows no benefit over written material at 13 months, according to a study published in the July issue of the Archives of Dermatology.
Monika Janda, Ph.D., from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues aimed to increase the proportion of men, 50 years or older, who conducted a thorough whole-body SSE with the help of two mirrors and/or a person to assist with difficult-to-see areas. A total of 930 men were randomized to receive either written materials (control) or written materials along with a DVD or video and two postcard reminders (intervention group). Participants were telephonically interviewed at baseline, and at seven and 13 months.
The investigators found that, compared to baseline, both the groups showed a similar increase in whole-body SSE behavior at 13 months. The intervention group was significantly more likely than controls to examine at least one part of their back, and a greater number of body sites at seven months. At seven months, the proportion of men conducting SSE increased by 28 and 13 percent in the intervention and control group, respectively, but the prevalence of any examination was similar at 13 months.
"While men 50 years or older are responsive to appropriately targeted intervention materials to increase their SSE behaviors, the addition of a video or DVD to written materials had only a transient advantage for optimal SSE practices," the authors write.
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