| Description |
Among individuals at high risk of developing melanoma due to family history or a genetic mutation, 48% do not engage in the recommended photoprotection behaviors that would reduce their risk. Priority of risk has been shown to predict engagement in sun-protection behaviors, but the factors leading to this prioritization are unknown. The present study examined predictors of priority of risk and adherence to recommended sunprotection behaviors among 128 high-risk individuals who underwent genetic counseling with or without CDKN2A/p16 testing. At the baseline assessment, priority of risk predicted photoprotection stage of change and routine sunscreen use, which were assessed by survey reports. At a follow-up visit 1 year after genetic counseling and testing, greater priority of risk strongly predicted higher reported engagement in all four measures of sun-protection (the prior two, plus routine protective clothing use and routine avoidance of peak exposure), and also mediated the positive effects of age, melanoma coherence, and feelings of worry and other negative emotions toward melanoma risk on each of these behaviors. These health cognitions also mediated the association between a positive test result and greater priority of risk, suggesting that genetic testing leads to improvements in priority of risk and photoprotective behaviors by increasing both understanding of melanoma risk and concern about it. Findings also suggested that those with more highly valued outdoor activities, who perceived greater mood benefits from sun exposure, and who perceived greater appearance benefits from sun exposure were iv less likely to engage in certain photoprotective behaviors; however, exceptions to this finding highlight the need to study different types of photoprotective behaviors separately. Overall, a better understanding of, and greater negative emotion toward, one's melanoma risk seem to be important in keeping it at the forefront of one's attention, while competing goals involving sun exposure decrease engagement in photoprotective behavior. |
