Table 1 Text messages and relevant CSM dimensions

Intro

Schools out for summer! This is Sunny Day, you will receive texts from me over the summer holiday as part of the sun safe study! We hope the information will help you stay safe in the sun!

1

Fake it! If you like looking tanned then fake tan is better for your skin than sunbathing.

Risk perception

2

Spot the odd one out.

To stay sunsafe: use sunscreen, wear sunglasses, wear a hat, cover up, stay in the shade, start a stamp collection.

Controllability

3

Skin cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in young adults in the UK. Reduce your chances of skin cancer by staying safe in the sun.

Risk perception

Controllability

4

The sun can cause skin cancer through invisible rays called UV rays. You can’t see them but it is these rays that hit our body and cause skin cancer.

Cause

5

The two types of UV rays that affect our skin are UVA and UVB rays. UVA causes aging. This means that you will get wrinkles younger and your skin can turn leathery. Easily remembered as UVAgeing.

Consequence

Appearance

6

UVB causes your skin to burn. Easily remembered as UVBurning.

Consequence

7

Ralf was diagnosed with skin cancer when he was 24. He said: “I should have protected my skin from the sun a lot more when I was young.”

Risk perception

Controllability

8

Those who get diagnosed with skin cancer often regret not having been more careful when they were young. You need to be sunsafe now.

Consequence

Timeline

9

“Sunscreen is smelly and sticky” – is that a good enough reason to risk getting sunburnt and increasing your chance of skin cancer?

Consequence

Cause

10

You look so nice and healthy with your tan. Isn’t it weird that a sign of skin damage is seen as something healthy? A tan is skin damage.

Identity

Appearance

11

Fake it! If you like looking tanned then fake tan is better for your skin than sunbathing.

Controllability

Appearance

12

Avoid the lobster look. Sunburn hurts, makes you look stupid and keeps you out of action.

Consequence

Appearance

13

You wouldn’t sit in a car without a seatbelt on, would you? Make sure you do the same in the sun. Sunscreen is your sun-seatbelt!

Controllability

14

How do you think celebrities keep their skin looking young? Thats right its sunscreen! Cheaper and less painful than a facelift…

Appearance

Controllability

End

Thanks for taking part in our study – hope you had a good summer holiday!