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Facilitating Sunscreen Use Among Chinese Young Adults: Less-Motivated Persons Benefit from a Planning Intervention

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Abstract

Background

The effect of a self-regulatory intervention with its focus on planning sunscreen use is evaluated in comparison to a standard educational condition.

Purpose

This paper studied whether planning mediates between the experimental conditions and the behavioral outcome. Further, it is examined who benefits more: already motivated or unmotivated individuals.

Method

College students (N = 253) were randomly assigned to two groups: a self-regulatory and a standard-care condition. Sunscreen use, intention to use sunscreen, and planning were assessed at two points in time, 1 month apart.

Results

The self-regulatory intervention improved planning to use sunscreen but not the behavior directly. Planning emerged as the mediator between conditions and later sunscreen use, controlling for baseline behavior. Moreover, participants who were less motivated benefited more from the intervention.

Conclusions

Although it is generally assumed that planning interventions are best designed for already motivated persons, the present findings suggest that less prepared individuals might have more to gain from a brief self-regulatory intervention.

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Acknowledgments

We would sincerely thank the research assistant and the college students involved in this study.

Conflict of Interest

Guangyu Zhou, Liang Zhang, Nina Knoll, and Ralf Schwarzer declare that they have no conflict of interest. Authors conformed to the Helsinki Declaration concerning human rights and informed consent, and followed correct procedures concerning treatment of humans and animals in research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Science and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Guangyu Zhou & Nina Knoll

  2. Department of Education, Longyan University, Longyan, China

    Liang Zhang

  3. Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, Australia

    Ralf Schwarzer

  4. Health Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany

    Guangyu Zhou

Authors
  1. Guangyu Zhou
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  2. Liang Zhang
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  4. Ralf Schwarzer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Guangyu Zhou.

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Zhou, G., Zhang, L., Knoll, N. et al. Facilitating Sunscreen Use Among Chinese Young Adults: Less-Motivated Persons Benefit from a Planning Intervention. Int.J. Behav. Med. 22, 443–451 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9458-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-014-9458-7

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