Effects of appearance-based intervention on sun protection intentions and self-reported behaviors.

Two appearance-based interventions designed to increase sun protection intentions and behaviors were evaluated. Sixty-eight college students in Experiment 1 and 76 beachgoers in Experiment 2 were randomly assigned to receive or not receive a photoaging (premature wrinkling and age spots) information intervention and, separately, to receive or not receive a novel ultraviolet (UV) photo intervention that makes the negative-appearance consequences of UV exposure more salient. Both experiments indicated that the UV photo intervention significantly increased intentions to use sunscreen in the future. A follow-up conducted with the beach sample indicated that UV photo information also produced greater protective behaviors for incidental sun exposure and that the combination of UV photo and photoaging information resulted in substantially lower reported sunbathing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preventing skin cancer in college females: Heterogeneous effects over time.

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of an appearance-focused intervention to reduce the risk of skin cancer by decreasing indoor tanning, examine potential heterogeneity in tanning across this time, and correlate the subtypes with predictors collected at baseline. Design: Randomized controlled trial with 379 female college students measured at 6 monthly time points. Main Outcome Measure: Self-reported indoor tanning frequency. Results: The intervention was effective at decreasing tanning over the period between the fall and spring. Longitudinal latent class analysis found 3 patterns of tanners among the treatment individuals: abstainers, moderate tanners, and heavy tanners. These classes appeared in both the treatment and control conditions, and the intervention had a harm reduction effect by reducing levels of exposure within the moderate and heavy tanner classes. Participant age and self-reported tanning patterns were found to be predictive of class membership. Conclusions: This research suggests that brief intervention approaches can be effective at reducing risk for skin cancer and illustrates several ways in which these protective effects can be enhanced. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changing knowledge and attitudes about skin cancer risk factors in adolescents.

Examined knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to skin cancer (SC), sun exposure, sunscreen use, and use of tanning booths in 903 female and 800 male adolescents. The effectiveness of a brief, school-based intervention designed to increase teens' knowledge and preventive attitudes about SC was also evaluated. Females, older students, and those with high-risk skin types were most likely to use sunscreen and to take precautions. However, overall level of protection was low. Intentions to take precautions were associated with levels of perceived susceptibility to SC, attitudes about the benefits of sun exposure, skin type, and sex. Beyond intentions, sunscreen use was associated with perceived susceptibility and skin type. The 1-session, school-based intervention significantly increased knowledge of and perceived susceptibility to SC but not behavioral intentions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Molecular alterations of canalicular transport systems in experimental models of cholestasis: possible functional correlations

Ajzen's (1988) theory of planned behavior (TOPB) was used to examine psychological determinants of high-risk UV radiation exposure-related behaviors (sunbathing, tanning salon use, and sunscreen use). Undergraduates at a midsized southeastern university were assessed on their psychological and behavioral tendencies toward high-risk UV radiation exposure-related behaviors. The results generally supported the utility of the TOPB as an explanatory model for high-risk behavior. Attitudes were strongly associated with high-risk intentions (e.g., not utilize sunscreen, use salons), whereas subjective norms were less so. Perceived behavioral control was found to moderate the relationship among attitudes, norms, and intentions to sunbathe and tan at a salon. Implications for intervention strategies and future model building in this area are discussed.     

Actinic erythema, false innocuousness of UV.A

The number of skin cancers is doubled every ten years. The responsibility of excessive sun exposure is incontestable as much for what concerns spino and baso cellular epitheliomas as for malignant melanomas. Over-exposure to ultraviolet B rays was considered as the determining cause of skin cancer and the entire prevention campaign was limited to the safeguard from these rays only. In reality, ultraviolet B rays are not uniquely responsible. Recent studies show that ultraviolet A rays, previously considered innocuous, are on the contrary aggressive as well and in a very deceiving way: it appears that it is the exposure to these rays in weak but repeated doses which are the most dangerous. It appeared that the visually determined value of MED was unchanged but the minimal dose responsible for color changes detectable with chromameter was decreased in the presence of UV.A for 3 subjects out of 4. This decrease was about 50% of the value obtained with UV.B alone. The strategy of protection needs to be completely reconsidered, particularly because today's lifestyle favors the exposition to ultraviolet A rays. There is an increase in exposure to UV.A rays when protection is limited only against ultraviolet B rays, giving a false sense of security especially to those who frequent tanning salons. It is therefore necessary to limit exposure time, use sunscreens protecting against not only UV.B, but also UV.A rays, and prohibit tanning salons. Public educational measures are inexistant, but should be introduced hastily in all public services.     

Characteristics of UVA-induced delayed tanning: seasonal variation

We studied seasonal variation in UVA-induced delayed tanning and compared it to that in UVA + B-induced delayed tanning. The minimal tanning dose (MTD) and the minimal melanogenic dose (MMD) were determined one week after UVA exposure or UVA + B exposure, respectively. The MTD determined in the summer (June to August) was significantly higher than that in winter (December to February). In addition, while MTD in the winter correlated well with skin color, there was no correlation between MTD and skin color in summer. MTD tended to correlate with self-reported tanning history at the initiation of tanning in the winter, but they were not correlated with each other in the summer. The MMD measured in the summer was significantly lower than that in the winter. MMD correlated well with skin color in both seasons; the lighter the skin, the smaller the MMD. Also, a correlation was detected between MMD and self-reported tanning history. These results suggest that the susceptibilities of delayed tanning to UVA and UVA + B are affected by different factors.     

Sunlamp use and the risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma: a population-based case-control study in Connecticut, USA

BACKGROUND: The relationship between cutaneous malignant melanoma and sunlamp use is examined in a Caucasian population in Connecticut, United States. METHODS: Cases were diagnosed between 15 January 1987 and 15 May 1987 with a first primary cutaneous melanoma. Controls were obtained from the general population, frequency matched to cases by sex and age, through random digit dialling of Connecticut telephone numbers. RESULTS: Of all study subjects, 141 (23%) cases and 95 (19%) controls reported ever having used sunlamps. The crude odds ratio (OR) for developing malignant melanoma after ever having used sunlamps was 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97-1.74). This was reduced to 1.13 (95% CI: 0.82-1.54) after further adjusting for cutaneous phenotype and recreational sun exposure. Those who used more than one type of sunlamp had a threefold higher risk for melanoma compared to never users. Subgroup analyses showed that sunlamp use was associated with a greater increase in risk for melanoma among those who used sunlamps at home and those who were first exposed to sunlamps prior to 1971. The first use of sunlamps before the age of 25 showed somewhat higher risk for melanoma compared to first use later in life. CONCLUSION: The current study provides limited evidence that use of sunlamps increases the risk of melanoma. For future studies, it is crucial that type of sunlamp, year of first use and amount of exposure are all taken into account. The association between melanoma and tanning with both UV-A and UV-B lamps and tanning under sunlamps early in life merits further investigation.     

Effects of appearance-based admonitions against sun exposure on tanning intentions in young adults.

Compared the effectiveness of health-based vs appearance-based messages on university students' intentions to protect their skin against the sun's damaging rays. 134 Ss completed a measure of appearance motivation, then responded to 1 of 3 essays about tanning and skin cancer. One essay described the health risks of excessive sun exposure, one essay discussed the deleterious effects of tanning on physical appearance, and a control essay described the process by which tanning occurs. Overall, the essay that dealt with the negative effects of the sun on appearance was most effective in promoting intentions to practice safe-sun behaviors. However, the appearance-based essay was effective primarily among Ss who were low rather than high in appearance motivation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adverse effects of sunlight on the skin

Many people consider a summer's day pleasant: warm and bright. The sun's ultraviolet rays do not contribute to the pleasure, and are biologically mainly harmful. As UV radiation does not penetrate any deeper than our skin, this organ has to be particularly well adapted to the UV exposure. The skin exploits the UV radiation for the synthesis of vitamin D3. Our day-to-day exposure suffices for this beneficial UV effect. Excessive exposure, as in sunbathing, only contributes to the adverse effects, like sunburn and suppression of cellular immunity in the short term, and 'photoaging' and skin cancer in the long term. The UVB radiation in sunlight is mainly responsible for these harmful effects, the UVA radiation to a far lesser extent (10-20% contribution). The UVA radiation from modern tanning equipment does not differ from that in sunlight, but UVA radiation does not lead to vitamin D3 production; it rather degrades vitamin D3 and a tan offers insufficient protection against the UVB radiation in full sunlight.     

Facultative skin pigmentation in caucasians: an objective biological indicator of lifetime exposure to ultraviolet radiation?

To investigate age and gender trends in facultative and constitutive skin pigmentation we measured skin pigmentation non-invasively and objectively by skin reflectance spectroscopy in 653 caucasians (336 females and 317 males; mean age 38 years, range 0-85) who were not using artificial tanning devices. In all subjects, measurements were performed in the late winter and pre-spring period at five sites exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation: the forehead, the upper chest, the upper back and the lateral and medial aspects of the upper arm, and in UV-unexposed buttock skin. Constitutive pigmentation at the buttocks was highest in the first years of life and then decreased substantially during the first two decades of life (P < 0.01). After the age of 25 years, buttock pigmentation remained at a constant level (P = 0.20). There was no gender difference in constitutive pigmentation. Facultative skin pigmentation increased with age for all the measured sites with the highest levels found at the lateral aspect of the upper arm. Based on observations in this study we propose the idea of a 'sun exposure index' (SEI) for individuals, based on objective measurements of skin pigmentation. The SEI is calculated as the increase in facultative pigmentation above the constitutive level and is expressed as a percentage of the constitutive level. The SEI appeared to be related to cumulative lifetime UV exposure and may be used in epidemiological research as an objective estimate of UV exposure at different body sites in caucasians.     

Students' estimates of the prevalence of drug use: Evidence for a false consensus effect.

False consensus, or the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share one's own attitudes and behaviors, was investigated in a study of 348 university students classified as non-drug users, cannabis-only users, or amphetamine+cannabis users. Participants estimated the prevalence of cannabis and amphetamine use among students. Cannabis and amphetamine users made significantly higher estimates of cannabis use among students than did nonusers, whereas amphetamine users gave significantly higher estimates of amphetamine use than nonusers and cannabis-only users. Correlations between estimates of use among friends and other students were significantly positive for both drugs. The results suggest that students are motivated to overestimate the commonality of their own position on drug use and that their estimates may also be influenced by selective exposure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A hearing conservation program for Wisconsin youth working in agriculture

Adolescents working in agricultural settings may be exposed to noise levels that result in hearing loss. The article describes the design, implementation, and results of a four-year, hearing conservation program (HCP) conducted at school. Thirty-four schools (753 students) were randomly assigned to either an intervention or control group. The intervention included multicomponent educational strategies and employed features of an industrial HCP. Final compliance surveys indicated 87.5% of intervention students reported using hearing protection devices (HPD) at least some of the time, compared to 45% of control students. The HCP components with the greatest reported influence were distribution of HPDs for use on the farm and yearly hearing tests. Eighty percent of intervention students reported intention to use HPDs in the future. It is feasible to conduct a hearing conservation program with junior high school and senior high school students, and it appears possible to persuade teen-agers to protect themselves from exposure to loud noise while working on a farm.     

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) conceal visual and auditory information from others.

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) competed with a human for food. The human sat inside a booth, with 1 piece of food to her left and 1 to her right, which she could retract from her chimpanzee competitor's reach as needed. In Experiment 1, chimpanzees could approach either side of the booth unseen but then had to reach through 1 of 2 tunnels (1 clear, 1 opaque) for the food. In Experiment 2, both tunnels were clear and the human was looking away, but 1 of the tunnels made a loud noise when it was opened. Chimpanzees preferentially reached through the opaque tunnel in the first study and the silent tunnel in the second, successfully concealing their taking of the food from the human competitor in both cases. These results suggest that chimpanzees can, in some circumstances, actively manipulate the visual and auditory perception of others by concealing information from them. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of ultraviolet radiation intensity on curing depth of photo-activated composite veneering materials

Light intensity and wavelength distribution affect post-cure properties of photo-activated composite materials. This study examined curing depth of composite veneering materials polymerized with a laboratory photo-curing unit for the purpose of evaluating the influence of ultraviolet radiation (UV) intensity on depth of cure. Three microfilled composite materials designed for prosthetic veneer were assessed. Two materials (Axis and Thermoresin LC II) were activated by both UV and visible radiation, whereas the other material (Dentacolor) was activated substantially by visible light. The light source of the photo-curing unit was a metal-halide lamp that radiates both UV and visible light. The unit was equipped with a removable UV-elimination filter capable of reducing the UV intensity from 1014.0 mW/cm2 to 574.0 mW/cm2. Each of the three materials was cured with the photo-curing unit for durations of 20, 30, 60 and 90 s both with and without the filter. The depth of cure of the materials was determined using a scraping technique described by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 4049). Three-factor analysis of variance revealed that the depth of cure was influenced by the type of composite material, by the exposure period and also by the use of the filter (P < 0.01). Curing depth of one material (Thermoresin LC II) was significantly greater when the material was exposed without the filter than when the material was exposed through the filter. Among the three materials, the Axis composite demonstrated the greatest depth of cure regardless of exposure time period or filter use.     

Effect of ageing on pancreatic hyperplasia after 90% proximal small bowel resection

PURPOSE: A longitudinal study to ascertain the attitudes toward, and habits of, substance use among a single class of medical students. METHOD: A single class from a northeastern medical school was surveyed in both its first year (February 1991, 176 students) and its third year (May 1993, 170 students). The students were asked to report how frequently during the prior year they had used drugs or alcohol, and whether their use of each substance had increased, decreased, or remained the same since entering medical school; to identify any family members with histories of alcohol or drug problems; and to report any incidence during the prior year of ten behaviors associated with substance dependence. The students were also asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with 11 attitudinal statements. Additional attitudinal items asked the students to identify three major deterrents to the abuse of drugs and alcohol, and what they had done if they had become aware of a classmate with a drug or alcohol problem. Chi-square analysis and two-tailed t-tests were used to compare data from the two surveys. RESULTS: The response rates in the first and second surveys were 96.9% and 81.8%, respectively. Use of licit and illicit substances was comparable to that of chronological peers and prior national studies of medical trainees. Most of the students admitted to using alcohol at least once in the prior year (91.8% and 95%, respectively). In both years marijuana was the illicit drug used most often. Although there was a slight increase over time in the use of benzodiazepines (2.4% to 5.8%) and a decrease in the use of marijuana (29.4% to 21.7%), these changes were not significant. Few of the students in their third year reported using any substance other than alcohol more than once a month. In general, a greater percentage of the students reported a decrease rather than an increase in the use of a substance since entering medical school; the primary exception was for wine. As they progressed in their training, the students became less concerned about the effect of substance use on their performance and more likely to be embarrassed about admitting to an addiction. Although in each year a few of the students appeared to be at risk for substance dependence (8.9% and 3.5%, respectively), no student came to the attention of the administration because of problems related to substance use. While most of the students were unaware of any classmate who had a problem, half of those who were aware had done nothing, and the balance had rarely sought assistance from the faculty or administration. CONCLUSION: Although there was no evidence that substance use was a major problem, a few of the students appeared to be at risk for drug or alcohol dependence. Appropriate intervention, support, and referral systems should be identified for the few who may be at risk, and increased educational efforts are needed to help all students address this issue with their peers and, ultimately, with their patients.     

Evaluation of a single-session expectancy challenge intervention to reduce alcohol use among college students.

In this study, the authors developed and evaluated a single-session experiential expectancy challenge (EC) intervention, seeking to reduce alcohol use by changing key positive expectancies among moderate to heavy drinking male and female college students. Participants (N=217) were randomly assigned to attend a 90- to 120-min EC session, CD-ROM alcohol education, or assessment only. Participants were assessed at pretest, posttest, and 1-month follow-up. Exposure to the EC intervention led to significant decreases in alcohol expectancies and subsequent alcohol consumption in both genders at follow-up. No significant changes were evident in either control condition. This study is the first to effectively decrease expectancies and drinking in college students with a single-session EC intervention. Further, although several studies have demonstrated the utility of the intervention with men, it is the first to do so with women. This study represents a critical step in the process of translating an innovative, theory-based intervention into a more practical format that makes it more accessible to those who seek effective drinking-reduction strategies for college campuses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pilot test of Project CHOICE: A voluntary afterschool intervention for middle school youth.

The current study reports findings from a pilot evaluation of a voluntary alcohol and marijuana intervention for young teens. Students at 2 middle schools completed 4 surveys over 2 years. During Year 2, an intervention, Project CHOICE (PC), was implemented at 1 school and was voluntarily attended by 13% of adolescents. Participants ranged from 10 to 15 years of age and were approximately 45% male, 45% White, 30% Latino, and 15% of mixed ethnic origin. Outcomes included assessments of self use and perceptions of friends' and schoolmates' past-month use of alcohol and marijuana. Analyses that compared PC participants (n=64) with a matched control sample of students (n=264) revealed that PC participants reported lower rates of alcohol use and lower perceptions of friends' marijuana use and of schoolmates' use of these substances. Random-effects growth models indicated that self use and perceptions of friends' use of alcohol and marijuana increased more sharply among control school students (n=178) relative to students from the PC school (n=270), regardless of participation. Results suggest that a brief voluntary intervention attended by a small proportion of students can impact both individual and schoolwide substance-related outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A randomized clinical trial of a brief, mailed intervention for symptoms of depression.

This research evaluated the efficacy of a brief, mailed personalized feedback intervention designed to alleviate depressed mood and antecedents (ineffective coping and hopelessness). College students (N = 177) were randomly assigned to intervention or control group following a baseline assessment. A week after completing the baseline assessment, participants in the intervention condition were mailed feedback and information detailing their mood, coping strategies, as well as suggestions for enhancing mood. Results indicated that feedback was effective in reducing depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and among men, increasing willingness to use coping strategies at the 1-month follow-up. Hopelessness mediated reductions in depressive symptoms. Results support the use of personalized feedback as a low-cost, initial intervention for college students suffering from symptoms of depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individualizing a web-based structure strategy intervention for fifth graders' comprehension of nonfiction.

In the study, we investigated effects of 2 different versions of a web-based tutoring system to provide 5th-grade students with strategy instruction about text structure, which was an intervention to improve reading comprehension. The design feature assessed varied in individualization of instruction (individualized or standard). The more individually tailored version was developed to provide remediation or enrichment lessons matched to the individual needs of each student. Stratified random assignment was used to compare the effects of 2 versions of the 6-month web-based intervention. Students in the individualized condition made greater improvements from pretest to posttest on a standardized reading comprehension test (d = 0.55) than did students in the standard condition (d = 0.30). Students receiving more individualized instruction demonstrated higher mastery achievement goals when working in the lessons than did students receiving the standard instruction (d = 0.53). Students receiving more individualized instruction showed greater improvement in using signaling, better work in lessons, and more positive posttest attitudes toward computers than did students receiving standard instruction. Students in both conditions improved their recall of ideas from texts and their use of the text structure strategy and comparison signaling words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adolescent Substance Use Outcomes in the Raising Healthy Children Project: A Two-Part Latent Growth Curve Analysis.

Raising Healthy Children (RHC) is a preventive intervention designed to promote positive youth development by targeting developmentally appropriate risk and protective factors. In this study, the authors tested the efficacy of the RHC intervention on reducing adolescent alcohol, marijuana, and cigarette use. Ten public schools, which comprised 959 1st- and 2nd-grade students (54% male students, 18% minority, 28% low socioeconomic status), were matched and assigned randomly to either intervention or control conditions. A 2-part latent growth modeling strategy was used to examine change in both use-versus-nonuse and frequency-of-use outcomes while students were in Grades 6-10. Results indicated significant ( p