Abstract B031: Investigating the associations of self-efficacy and social factors among Hispanics at Risk for Skin Cancer
Authors: Niu Zhaomeng , Heckman Carolyn 
Published: September 2024

Background: Skin cancer ranks as the most prevalent cancer in the United States. Over the past two decades, the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, among Hispanics has risen by 20%. Melanoma mortality rates are higher in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic whites. Early detection of melanoma via skin self-examination may lead to diagnosis of melanomas at an earlier stage, when they are thinner, less invasive, and more easily treatable, resulting in improved survival rates. Given the gap in research addressing culturally-relevant factors related to skin cancer prevention and detection among Hispanics and informed by the Preventive Health Model, this study tested the associations between social factors and self-efficacy with skin self- examination (SSE) intentions and queried participants about their preferences for skin cancer prevention-related interventions. Methods: Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) was utilized for participant recruitment, and respondents who were at risk for skin cancer (finished a short screening survey) were invited to complete a Qualtrics survey. Upon finishing the Qualtrics survey, participants were given a completion code to obtain an incentive ($3.50) directly from Amazon. The entire study lasted approximately 20–30 minutes. A multivariable regression analysis was performed to explore the associations between descriptive norms, injunctive norms, provider-patient communication, self-efficacy and SSE intentions. PROCESS macro model 4 was used to test the mediation associations. Results: Among the respondents (n = 79), 55.7% were female (n = 44), and 89.9% held a college or higher degree (n = 71). Self-efficacy fully mediated the effects of descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and provider-patient communication on SSE intentions among Hispanics. There was a significant indirect effect of descriptive norms on SSE intentions via its prior effect on self-efficacy (Bindirect = 0.43, SE = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.158, 0.698). Similarly, there was a significant indirect effect of injunctive norms on SSE intentions via its prior effect on self-efficacy (Bindirect = 0.45, SE = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.217, 0.692). Moreover, an indirect effect of provider-patient communication via self-efficacy on SSE intentions was also found (Bindirect = 0.66, SE = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.211, 1.196). On average, respondents demonstrated considerable interest in participating in a skin cancer-related behavioral intervention using a mobile application (75.6%) and/or using WhatsApp (71.8%). Conclusions: These preliminary findings provide new insights for development of future digital skin cancer intervention programs among Hispanics targeting social factors, including social norms and provider-patient communication, and utilizing preferred digital tools.

Citation Format: Zhaomeng Niu, Carolyn Heckman. Investigating the associations of self-efficacy and social factors among Hispanics at Risk for Skin Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B031.