Effect of stimuli on sun protective habits: A randomized double‐blind controlled study

BACKGROUND: Visual imagery has been shown to improve adherence to health messages but has scarcely been investigated in sun protection campaigns. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of pictorial- and textual-based sun protective messages in a largely Hispanic population. METHODS: One hundred and forty-five participants received standard of care (SOC) as defined as sun protective counseling and were then randomized to receive either (a) images of sun damage, (b) a textual pamphlet about sun damage, or (c) no further messages. Analysis-of-variance tests for repeated measures were used to estimate the effects of the different stimuli on participants' knowledge and intention to sun protect. RESULTS: All stimulus groups demonstrated an improvement in perceived effectiveness of sun protective habits (p < 0.05). However, pictorial and textual stimuli were both more effective than SOC in improving intentions to sun protect (p < 0.05), but there was no differential effect between the two. CONCLUSIONS: Both pictorial and textual stimuli were more effective than SOC in improving intentions to sun protect, but there was no differential effect between the two.