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Effects of a Brief Theory‐Based Intervention on the Practice of Testicular Self‐Examination by High School Males
Author(s) -
Murphy William G.,
Brubaker Robert G.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of school health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.851
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1746-1561
pISSN - 0022-4391
DOI - 10.1111/j.1746-1561.1990.tb05977.x
Subject(s) - operationalization , theory of planned behavior , psychology , intervention (counseling) , applied psychology , medical education , developmental psychology , social psychology , control (management) , medicine , computer science , psychiatry , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence
This preliminary study evaluated a brief intervention, based on the theory of planned behavior, designed to encourage high school students to practice testicular self‐examination (TSE). Ninety‐nine male ninth and 10th grade students were exposed to a message challenging beliefs about outcomes of performing TSE as suggested by the theory of planned behavior, a message providing information about TSE and testicular cancer, or a control message, after which they completed a questionnaire operationalizing components of the theoretical model. Four weeks later, students reported their practice of TSE. As predicted, students exposed to the theory‐based message reported a stronger intention to perform TSE and, at follow‐up, were more likely to report having performed the exam than study participants exposed to other messages. Data provide partial support for the utility of the theory of planned behavior as a framework for constructing health‐promoting messages. Future research recommendations are offered.