The health beliefs and skin cancer prevention practices of Wisconsin dairy farmers.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To assess and describe health beliefs, level of knowledge about skin cancer, current skin cancer prevention practices, and cues to preventive action of Wisconsin dairy farmers.

DESIGN

Descriptive survey.

SETTING

Rural Wisconsin.

SAMPLE

A stratified random sample of 535 male dairy farmers from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture mailing list; 202 farmers (38%) returned the survey.

METHODS

A survey instrument developed by the researcher was mailed to the farmers. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze data.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Susceptibility, seriousness, benefits, barriers, current practices, knowledge, and cues to preventive action in regard to skin cancer.

FINDINGS

Farmers were knowledgeable about skin cancer and felt that they were susceptible, that it was a serious disease, and that protective actions were beneficial; however, they did not practice sun protection. "Too hot to wear" was the most frequent reason given for not wearing protective clothing, and "I forget to wear it" was the most common reason for not using sunscreen.

CONCLUSIONS

Barriers to the use of sunscreen may be the most amenable to intervention. The utility of the Health Belief Model with this population is questioned and may require additional research.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Farming-related magazines and newspapers can be used to provide health information. Skin cancer education should be provided at schools, work sites, outpatient clinics, hospitals, and community screening events to remind farmers to practice sun protection.