Open AccessParticipation of older males in a study on photography as an aid to early detection of melanoma
Author(s) -
Hanrahan Pauline F.,
Menzies Scott W.,
D'Este Catherine A.,
Plummer Tony,
Mersey Peter
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-842x.2000.tb00527.x
Subject(s) - medicine , photography , melanoma , demography , visual arts , art , cancer research , sociology
Abstract Objective: To examine the acceptability of photography as an aid to skin examinations in men over 50 years of age. Methods: A randomised trial of men selected from the electoral roll. All participants were photographed, but only half received their photographs. Skin examinations by GPs at years one and two. Results: 55% of men consented to have photographs taken and 51% did so. 86% of respondents had risk factors for melanoma (compared to 68% of non‐responders) and 47% had two or more risk factors (compared to 23% of non‐responders). At year one, 91% of participants remaining in study regions had been examined. Photographs were lost by only six participants. Conclusions: Men over 50 years of age respond to personalised health messages about melanoma and respondents include a high proportion of males with risk factors for melanoma. Implications: These initial results suggest that photography may be a logistically acceptable approach for assisting in the early detection of melanoma.