Readiness to change sun-protective behaviour

The incidence of malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers has incre ased rapidly in Sweden during the last 20 years. The best-known way to reve rt this trend is primary prevention. Matching health messages to readiness to change in the population may enhance the effect of community-based preve ntion. The aims of this study were to investigate readiness to change sun-p rotective behaviour in two groups (visitors to mobile screening units and b each-goers) and to test a single-item algorithm in assessing the stage of c hange in sun-protective behaviour. Seven hundred and forty-two visitors to the mobile screening units and 202 individuals on nearby beaches answered a short questionnaire. The assessment of readiness to change was based on st ages of change in sun-protective behaviour modified from the Transtheoretic al Model of Behaviour Change. As expected, the visitors to the screening un its were more often in action / maintenance stages than the beach group for most sun-protective behaviours. In conclusion, the single-item algorithm m ethod appears to be sensitive to assess readiness to change sun-protective behaviour, based on the Transtheoretical Model of Behaviour Change. This me thod can be incorporated into population surveys and may aid in developing successful skin cancer prevention programmes. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.