Factors associated with older adults' knowledge, attitude and practice on skin cancer prevention.
Antonia Imaculada Santos Serafim, Samia Jardelle Costa de Freitas Maniva, Regina Kelly Guimarães Gomes Campos and 5 others
PMID 37820162WHAT IT FOUND
Most older adults knew about skin cancer prevention, but only 17% practiced it.
Those with lower education or who had worked outdoors were less likely to practice. Nurses should focus education on these groups and on recognizing suspicious skin changes.
Key findings
01Adequate knowledge was common (57%), but adequate practice was rare (17%).
02Having incomplete elementary school was associated with inadequate practice, while completing high school or higher education was associated with adequate practice.
03Working or having worked under direct sun exposure was associated with inadequate knowledge and attitude.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample of 120 participants, which limits generalizability. Skin cancer prevalence and history were self-reported and not clinically verified. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality between factors and KAP levels. The instrument was developed by the researchers and validated only by three experts, not through extensive psychometric testing.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Centro Universitário Católica de Quixadá.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high knowledge and positive attitudes translate to protective behavior. The study found a large disconnect: 57% had adequate knowledge, but only 17% had adequate practice. Education alone may not be sufficient to change behavior in this population.