Original articleEffectiveness of a knowledge-based intervention for melanoma among those with ethnic skin
Section snippets
Participants
In the summer of 2007, consecutive patients seeking care for skin disorders at the Northwestern Center for Ethnic Skin in Chicago, IL, were recruited by the research associate (RA) before their visit with the dermatologist. For the purposes of the study, we defined ethnic skin and skin of color as encompassing subjects with the following self-reported ethnic groups: African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or mixed ethnicity. Other entry criteria included being older than age 18
Results
The population was predominantly female and African American (Table II). Attrition reduced the population responding to the 3-month telephone interview from 93 participants to 71. The characteristics of those entering the study and completing the 3 month telephone survey are similar (no significant differences between completers and noncompleters of 3-month survey).
Among these people of color, 21% reported a skin phenotype with at least sometimes burning and 32% reported having at least one
Discussion
Our educational intervention was effective in improving knowledge that melanoma is a skin cancer, the warning signs of melanoma, the perception of being personally at risk to develop melanoma, and the behaviors of monthly skin checking of acral sites immediately and with persistence 3 months after the intervention. The educational intervention may have enhanced the perception of personal risk because participants had a history of sunburns, which they recognized as a risk for developing
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