We Did It!
Last year we set out to educate males about testicular cancer (TC), reduce the stigma associated with TC and encourage males to perform testicular self exams (TSE).
We are happy to report that we accomplished many of these goals!
How do we know that we accomplished these goals? Because we collected self-report surveys from 272 males on campus about TC knowledge and TC related behaviors prior to and after the Check Yo Nutz campaign.
The table below summarizes the results of our campaign efforts in the following areas: awareness of TC, behavioral intent and TC related behaviors. As you can see from this table (1=lowest score, 5= highest score), males knew very little about TC coming into the campaign (pre-test) but knew significantly more about TC after the campaign ended (post test).
| Variable | Pre-test Mean | Post-test Mean | t | p | Effect Size | % Change |
| Awareness | ||||||
| Exposed to TC information | 3.26 | 3.76 | 4.94 | <.001 | .41 | 15 |
| Know warning signs and symptoms | 2.33 | 3.01 | 6.60 | <.001 | .63 | 29 |
| Know where to find TC information | 3.40 | 3.65 | 6.17 | <.001 | .50 | 7 |
| Know how to perform TC self-exam | 2.85 | 3.48 | 2.66 | .004 | .22 | 22 |
| Behavioral Intentions | ||||||
| Will perform self-exam within month | 2.97 | 3.33 | 4.28 | <.001 | .33 | 12 |
| Will talk to doctor about TC next visit | 2.89 | 3.03 | 1.55 | .061 | – | – |
| Behavior | ||||||
| Perform monthly self-exam | 1.90 | 2.60 | 7.93 | <.001 | .62 | 37 |
| Discuss TC with doctor | 1.96 | 2.30 | 4.79 | <.001 | .31 | 17 |
| Search for TC information | 1.57 | 2.01 | 5.22 | <.001 | .50 | 28 |
| Discuss TC with friend or family | 1.56 | 1.93 | 5.00 | <.001 | .42 | 24 |
These changes illustrate the impact that the campaign messages had on males’ attitudes and behaviors. As the campaign continues each year, we hope to see these numbers continue to rise as the messages are repeated and young men are reminded each year to conduct TSEs through the Check Yo Nutz campaign.
Professors and students involved with the campaign submitted a paper that summarizes this research to a national conference. This data supports the use of our messaging strategies to educate males about TC and encourage males to conduct TSEs.
