Using the Internet to communicate the sun-safety message to teenagers

Peattie, Susan 2002. Using the Internet to communicate the sun-safety message to teenagers. Health Education 102 (5) , pp. 210-218. 10.1108/09654280210444083

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Abstract

Skin cancer is the world’s most prevalent form of cancer, yet it is one of the most preventable. Examines the challenge of communicating the “sun-safety” health education message to teenagers. Teenagers represent a key audience, because skin-cancer risks are strongly linked to sun-exposure behaviour and experiences during adolescence. Focus groups involving those concerned with child sun-safety were conducted in both Australia and the UK. In-depth interviews with UK teenagers were used to explore their experience of the Internet and their opinions on its potential as a channel for promoting sun-safety. Both Australian and UK teenagers felt that they lacked information on sun-safety. Interviews showed that teenagers thought that a good Web site should have speed of access, ease of reading and navigation, good links, audio-visual effects and interactivity. They saw the Internet as potentially useful in providing information about sun-safety, suggesting the use of celebrities, prizes with competitions, and teenage- rather than health-oriented sites. The evidence from this research suggests that sun-safety is a health education issue on which the particular communication characteristics of the Internet can be utilised to good effect. The results suggest considerable synergy between the Internet as a medium, sun-safety as a message and teenagers as an audience.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine T Technology > T Technology (General)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Education; Health care; Internet; Safety; Young people
Publisher:	Emerald
ISSN:	0965-4283
Last Modified:	19 Mar 2016 23:12
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/42735

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