TY - JOUR
T1 - College Students' Perceptions of Worry and Parent Beliefs
T2 - Associations with Behaviors to Prevent Sun Exposure
AU - Yockey, Robert A.
AU - Nabors, Laura A.
AU - Oluwoye, Oladunni
AU - Welker, Kristen
AU - Hardee, Angelica M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Robert A. Yockey et al.
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - More research is needed to understand how attitudes impact behaviors that afford sun protection. The current study examined the impact of students' perceptions of parental beliefs about sun exposure and its influence on their practiced sun protection behaviors and worry about sun exposure. Participants were college students (N=462) at a large Midwestern university. They completed a survey to examine their perceptions of risks and messages about sun exposure and sun exposure behaviors. Results indicated that gender and students' perceptions of parental beliefs about sun exposure were related to sun protection behaviors and their own worry over sun exposure. Specifically, males showed lower levels of sun protection behaviors, with the exception of wearing a hat with a brim, and lower levels of worry about sun exposure compared to females. Roughly a third of our sample had a family history of skin cancer, and this variable was related to worry about sun exposure and parental beliefs. Prevention messages and interventions to reduce sun risk for college students should address risks of sun exposure as well as educating young adults about the importance of wearing sunscreen, protective clothing, and hats to improve sun protection.
AB - More research is needed to understand how attitudes impact behaviors that afford sun protection. The current study examined the impact of students' perceptions of parental beliefs about sun exposure and its influence on their practiced sun protection behaviors and worry about sun exposure. Participants were college students (N=462) at a large Midwestern university. They completed a survey to examine their perceptions of risks and messages about sun exposure and sun exposure behaviors. Results indicated that gender and students' perceptions of parental beliefs about sun exposure were related to sun protection behaviors and their own worry over sun exposure. Specifically, males showed lower levels of sun protection behaviors, with the exception of wearing a hat with a brim, and lower levels of worry about sun exposure compared to females. Roughly a third of our sample had a family history of skin cancer, and this variable was related to worry about sun exposure and parental beliefs. Prevention messages and interventions to reduce sun risk for college students should address risks of sun exposure as well as educating young adults about the importance of wearing sunscreen, protective clothing, and hats to improve sun protection.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85027231431&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1155/2017/4985702
DO - 10.1155/2017/4985702
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85027231431
SN - 2090-2905
VL - 2017
JO - Journal of Skin Cancer
JF - Journal of Skin Cancer
M1 - 4985702
ER -