Rural Farmers' Exposure to Radio Messages about Sun Protection: Implications for Skin Cancer Prevention |
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| Abstract: | Radio affords the means to reach large audiences with reinforcing messages about health. To date, research-has seldom considered the effects of radio messages on rural or farming populations' health practices. The present study evaluated the impact of exposure to radio messages about sun protection on farmers' (N = 172) perceived knowledge about sun protection, perceptions regarding their families' expectations for farmers to practice sun protection, and farmers' sense of self-efficacy when it comes to practicing sun protection. Farmers' own efforts to promote sun protection, to purchase products to support their own sun protection, and their actual sun protection behaviors were also considered with regard to exposure to radio messages about sun protection. Findings revealed that farmers who recalled having heard a message about sun protection during the previous 12 months were more likely to perceive themselves as knowledgeable about sun protection, to perceive their families as expecting them to practice sun protection, and to believe that sun protection is a relatively easy thing to do. Farmers exposed to radio messages about sun protection were also more likely to promote sun protection to others and to purchase products to support their own sun protection practices. These results suggest that radio is a channel with great potential for achieving health promotion aims among rural farming populations. |
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