Knowledge and Attitudes on Skin Cancer Prevention in Rural Texas Communities

One of the most common forms of cancer in the United States is skin cancer. Although the incidence of skin cancer is increasing annually, the distribution of skin cancer risk is not the same everywhere. Compared with urban residents, rural residents, who are typically older, less educated, and poorer than urban residents, have less access to early cancer detection programs and preventative health information. This study used data from a project designed to prevent cancers caused by obesity, tobacco, and sunburn in rural communities. Data were collected from 382 randomly selected residents of two rural communities in Texas in 2011. The information collected included demographic characteristics, attitudes and behaviors regarding cancer prevention, general health knowledge and anthropometric measurements (height, weight, and waist circumference). Ordinal logistic regression analyses and Chi-square tests were used to examine the associations of factors affecting sunscreen use and sunburn frequency. This study found that rural residents, who are Hispanic, smokers, and obese were less likely to use sunscreen. Those who are obese, unmarried, and less educated were reported more frequent sunburn. Knowledge derived from this study could be used to determine the need and scope of future skin cancer risk intervention efforts for rural residents.