Barriers to Using a Nationwide Skin Cancer Screening Program: Findings from Germany

Background: In 2008, a nationwide standardized and systematic skin cancer screening (SCS) service, which is globally unique, was implemented in Germany. We aimed to provide current data on SCS use, to explore barriers to SCS usage, and to identify population groups with lower rates of SCS use.Methods: We analyzed data from 2,635 participants (18-45 years) in the National Cancer Aid Monitoring on Sunbed Use. Data on SCS use, barriers to SCS, and sociodemographic characteristics were obtained. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze the data. Data was weighted by age, sex, educational level, and federal state.Results: In total, 39.0% of participants reported having been screened for skin cancer at least once in their lifetime. The subjective importance of different barriers varied depending on the participants' educational level. SCS use was negatively associated with male sex (odds ratio (OR) = 0.63, p
Source: Oncology Research and Treatment - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research