Incidental sun Exposure in North Queensland: a Study of Whether Prototype Perceptions Influence Sun-related Behaviour

Abstract

Background: The factors that contribute toward incidental sun exposure are relatively unexplored. Incidental sun exposure is neither planned nor deliberate, thus theoretical frameworks adopted for its exploration must account for this. The current study adopts the prototype willingness (PW) model as a framework for examining incidental exposure in an extreme ultra-violet radiation (UVR) environment. Method: An experimental 1-factor design with three levels aimed to manipulate the favourability of the incidental exposer prototype. Community participants (N=96) were exposed to positive or negative information about the prototypical incidental exposer. Participants responded to items assessing PW model variables and sun-related behaviour. Skin reflectance spectrophotometry was used to measure skin colour at T1 and T2 (1-month later). Findings: Preliminary findings after wave 1 recruitment suggest that the manipulation was effective with within-group differences detected for prototype favourability ratings. Discussion: Findings suggest that the PW model provides a useful framework for examining an underlying mechanism of incidental sun exposure behaviour.