Comparing personal risk, melanoma knowledge and protective behaviour in people with and without melanoma: a postal survey to explore educational needs in northeast Scotland

Abstract

In Northeast Scotland, 132 people with melanoma and 139 people never affected by melanoma completed a questionnaire measuring risk, level of concern, protective behaviour and knowledge. In adjusted analysis, people with melanoma had significantly higher personal risk, level of concern, protective behaviour and melanoma knowledge scores than those never affected. These data suggest that people diagnosed with melanoma in Northeast Scotland are being educated about how to avoid a second primary. The results of the adjusted analysis also suggest that in Northeast Scotland, melanoma education should be targeted at older people, men and those of lower educational status. It is also likely that this questionnaire could be used in the healthy population of Northeast Scotland to detect those most likely to benefit from targeted education to help prevent melanoma, and to measure the effects of and quality of melanoma public education campaigns.