Skin Cancer Preventive Behaviors and its Determinants among High School Students in Sanandaj, Iran: An Application of PRECEDE Model

In recent years, the prevalence of skin cancer is rising in Iran. This cancer is the most common cancer in Kurdistan province, Iran. This study aims to investigate the determinants of skin cancer preventive behaviors (SCPBs) among high school students applying the PRECEDE Model in Sanandaj, Iran.
Multistage cluster sampling was employed to recruit 225 high school students in Sanandaj, Iran to participate in the study. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. The data were collected using a questionnaire designated based on the educational phase (knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, social support (as reinforcing factors) and enabling factors and SCPBs) of PRECEDE model. Face and content validity and reliability of the scales were approved. Data were entered into SPSS software v.21 and were analyzed applying One-way ANOVA, T-test, Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Linear Regression tests.
Statistically significant associations were found between SCPBs and attitude (r=0.175), self-efficacy (r=0.509), social support (r=0.332) and enabling factors (r = 0.347). The mean of SCPBs among the students was less than moderate. In linear regression analysis, the independent variables predicted 29.9% of SCPBs within which self-efficacy was the only significant variable (P