Melanoma risk: adolescent females' perspectives on skin protection pre/post-viewing a ultraviolet photoaged photograph of their own facial sun damage.

Suntanning increases skin cancer risk and prematurely ages skin. Photoageing photography is an effective means of increasing adult ultraviolet radiation (UVR) awareness and skin-protection practices. While adults' largely positive suntanning-deterrence responses to photoageing photography are well-documented, comparatively little is known about the deterrence effectiveness of photoageing photography with adolescents. To help fill this knowledge gap, in-depth interviews were collected from 10 adolescent females and were subsequently subjected to interpretive phenomenological analysis. The emergent central theme - Having a tan and looking good in the short-term is okay, however, in the longer-term you can end up looking far worse… but still a tan is worth it - and its component subthemes reveal that the adolescent female's desire for a suntan is largely appearance driven. While photoaged photography is effective in increasing their awareness of the skin damage that UVR exposure causes, it does not alter their suntanning intentions. The analysis also revealed that one of the major barriers to adolescent females' adoption of skin-protective behaviours is their belief in their own invincibility. Hence, skin-protection interventions that lessen the aura of invincibility around adolescent females' understanding of their risk for developing skin cancers are vital to reducing the incidence of malignant melanoma.

Sarcoma survivors' perspectives on their body image and functional quality of life post-resection/limb salvage surgery.

Sarcomas often occur in patients' extremities and treatment typically involves bone resection/limb salvage surgery. Such treatments leave survivors with physical disfigurements, functional disabilities, and/or emotional traumas. Our post-surgery psychological intervention investigated how these experiences impinge on sarcoma survivors' lives. Twenty-three survivors aged 19-60 years (M = 36 years) participated in a tri-disciplinary (rehabilitative exercise, plastic surgery and psychological) intervention. Of these, 17 participated in psychodynamic counselling, 10 completed a mental-health questionnaire and seven kept a reflective journal. An exemplar case study research design was employed and data were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings reveal that survivors typically experience a number of body image issues and mobility difficulties, which they are reluctant to share with their oncologist in case they are viewed as being ungrateful or vain. In instances where such issues remain unaddressed, then sarcoma survivors have a tendency to adopt avoidant coping strategies and social isolation practices. These practices negatively impact on their mental health and functional quality of life. Hence, it is suggested that a short three part (body image, mobility, and coping strategy) screen be devised and used at all sarcoma 2-year follow-up assessment consults to identify which survivors are in need of psychological assistance.

Using UV photoaged photography to better understand Western Australian teenagers' attitudes towards adopting sun-protective behaviors.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether the viewing of a personal photoaged photograph had the capacity to alter Western Australian teenagers' pro-tanning attitudes. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen teenagers. FINDINGS: The teenagers' pro-tanning attitudes prior to viewing their photoaged photograph are encapsulated in the study's central theme: 'You've got to look after your skin and use sunscreen, but I always forget!'. Post-viewing their photoaged facial image many teenagers reiterated their intentions to adopt (when they remembered) skin-protective measures. However, photoaged photography did not alter other teenagers' intention to tan. NEW KNOWLEDGE: Teenagers who choose to continue to tan were aware of the long-term health risks associated with ultra-violet over-exposure. However, their desire remained strong to emulate the media promoted image of bronzed youth being popular individuals. Indeed, the social benefits of being considered attractive to their peers became an attitudinal barrier to the teenagers' adoption of skin-protective behaviours. Those teenagers who changed their pro-tanning attitudes following their viewing of their ultra-violet photoaged photograph did so because of the shock they received when they saw their sun-damaged facial image. This suggests that photoageing photography can be effective with many adolescents because it reduces the cause-and-effect delay that exists between the occurrence of sun-damage and its visual presentation in later-life. CONCLUSION: Greater effort needs to be focused on increasing teenagers' understanding of how sun-damage occurs, when it is appropriate to apply sunscreen, as well as in changing the prevailing media image of an attractive body being a tanned body.

Young Australian adults' reactions to viewing personalised UV photoaged photographs.

BACKGROUND: Despite two nationwide sun-protection awareness campaigns, young Australian adults continue to sunbathe. Since their primary motivation for tanning is appearance enhancement, it may well be that campaigns that highlight the negative effects of tanning on appearance are more effective than campaigns that emphasise the health risks associated with sun exposure. AIMS: This study aims to explore young adults' reactions to viewing a photoaged photograph of the sun damage already visible in their facial image. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven females and three males aged 20-30 years. The interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and were then subjected to Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). RESULTS: Three themes and eight sub-themes emerged from the analysis. Collectively they revealed that participants' fear-based reaction to their photoaged photographs triggered in them feelings of unattractiveness, which in turn motivated them to change to their existing sun-tanning behaviours. CONCLUSION: Although media-popularised representations of suntanned skin being the desired norm were identified as a barrier to skin-protective behavioural change, personalised ultraviolet (UV) photoaged photographs, when accompanied by an explanation of the skin damage that unprotected ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure causes, were effective in changing young adults' sun-tanning intentions. Hence, a need exists for positive non-tanning appearance-related messages to be incorporated into sun exposure education campaigns.