Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Path analysis of skin cancer preventive behaviors in rural women based on  protection 
motivation theory  
 
Version: 0 Date: 27 Nov 2019  
 
Reviewer: Salvatore Giovanni Vitale  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I read with great interest the Manuscript titled "Path analysis of skin cancer p reventive behaviors 
in rural women based on protection motivation theory" (BMWH -D-19-00762), which falls 
within the aim of BMC Women's Health.     
 
In my honest opinion, the topic is interesting enough to attract the readers' attention. 
Methodology is accur ate and conclusions are supported by the data analysis. Nevertheless, 
authors should clarify some point and improve the discussion citing relevant and novel key 
articles about the topic.  
 
 
Authors should consider the following recommendations:  
 
- Manuscript  should be further revised by a native English speaker.  
 
- Was this study registered? I could not find any information about this point.  
 
- It would be interesting to further discuss the application of protection motivation theory 
in the prevention of other  types of cancer such as cervical cancer. Some useful 
references about this point are the following: PMID 28749603; PMID 28918603; 
PMID 29787011.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the w ork include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
Are yo u able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relev ant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, con sidering the following questions:  
 
1.  Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary 
from an organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the 
publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2.  Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or 
lose financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the 
future?  
 
3.  Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content 
of the manuscript?  
 
4.  Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization 
that holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5.  Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6.  Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interests' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I h ave no competing interests.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload  will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wi sh to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal