Impact of a video-based intervention to improve the prevalence of skin self-examination in men 50 years or older: the randomized skin awareness trial.

OBJECTIVE To improve the proportion of men 50 years or older who conduct a thorough whole-body skin self-examination (SSE), because these men are at increased risk of being diagnosed as having thick melanomas and dying of melanoma. DESIGN Randomized trial of a video-based intervention to increase whole-body SSE compared with brochures-only control. SETTING Men from an Australian population register. PARTICIPANTS The study included 930 men 50 years or older. INTERVENTION The men were randomly assigned to receive either written materials only (control) or written materials along with a DVD or video and 2 postcard reminders (intervention). Telephone interviews were conducted at baseline and at 7 and 13 months. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The proportion of men who conducted a whole-body SSE with the help of 2 mirrors and/or a person to assist with difficult-to-see areas. RESULTS Compared with baseline (10%), by 13 months both groups had increased their whole-body SSE behaviors similarly (36% intervention and 31% control) (P = .85). At 7 months, the intervention group was significantly more likely to examine at least 1 part of their back (P < .001) and to examine a greater number of body sites (P < .001). At 7 months, the proportion of men conducting any SSE increased by 28% in the intervention group compared with 13% in the control group (P < .001), but at 13 months, the prevalence of any self-examination (83% vs 80%) was again similar. CONCLUSION 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. TRIAL REGISTRATION anzctr.org.au Identifier: 12608000384358.