Preventing Skin Cancer: Community-Wide, Mass Media Campaigns

(2003 Archived Review)

Task Force Finding*

Mass media campaigns are directed toward the entire community, and have been used to promote skin cancer prevention by a number of private and governmental entities. Interventions in this category included some component of a mass media approach, such as radio or television, and may also have included small media, such as newsletters and posters.

The Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of mass media interventions alone in changing sun exposure behaviors because of (1) limitations in study design and execution of available studies, (2) the small number of qualifying studies, and (3) variability in interventions and outcomes evaluated.

*From the following publication:

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations to prevent skin cancer by reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Am J Prev Med 2004;27(5):467-70.