TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways curriculum on students in grades 6 to 8
AU - Buller, David B.
AU - Reynolds, Kim D.
AU - Yaroch, Amy
AU - Cutter, Gary R.
AU - Hines, Joan M.
AU - Geno, Cristy R.
AU - Maloy, Julie A.
AU - Brown, Melissa
AU - Woodall, W. Gill
AU - Grandpre, Joseph
N1 - Funding Information:
This project was supported by the National Cancer Institute (grant CA81864). We are grateful to the administrators, teachers, and students in the Adams 12 School District, Albuquerque Public Schools, Cherry Creek Schools, Jefferson County School District, Rio Rancho School District, Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District, Safford Unified School District, and Mesa Pubic Schools.
PY - 2006/1
Y1 - 2006/1
N2 - Background: There are few effective sun-safety education programs for use in secondary schools. Project aims were to create a sun-safety curriculum for grades 6 to 8, and to test whether exposure to the curriculum would increase children's sun-protection behavior. Design: A pair-matched, group-randomized, pre-post test, controlled trial was performed with middle schools as the unit of randomization. Teachers implemented the six-unit sun-safety curriculum in 2001-2003, and analyses were performed in 2003-2004. Setting/Participants: A total of 2038 children from 30 middle schools in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported sun-protection behavior using frequency ratings and diary. Results: Compared to control schools, children receiving the curriculum reported more frequent sun protection (p=0.0035), and a greater proportion wore long-sleeved shirts during recess (p<0.0001) and applied sunscreen (p<0.0001). Exposure to the curriculum improved knowledge (p<0.0001), decreased perceived barriers to using sunscreen (p=0.0046), enhanced self-efficacy expectations (p=0.0577) about sun safety, and reduced favorable attitudes toward sun tanning (p=0.0026 to <0.0001). In intent-to-treat analyses, the treatment effect was eliminated only under the most conservative assumptions about dropouts. Conclusions: Educational approaches to sun safety in middle school may be effective for improving children's sun safety. Potential trial limitations include measuring short-term outcomes, focusing on young adolescents, using active parental consent, and testing in the American Southwest.
AB - Background: There are few effective sun-safety education programs for use in secondary schools. Project aims were to create a sun-safety curriculum for grades 6 to 8, and to test whether exposure to the curriculum would increase children's sun-protection behavior. Design: A pair-matched, group-randomized, pre-post test, controlled trial was performed with middle schools as the unit of randomization. Teachers implemented the six-unit sun-safety curriculum in 2001-2003, and analyses were performed in 2003-2004. Setting/Participants: A total of 2038 children from 30 middle schools in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported sun-protection behavior using frequency ratings and diary. Results: Compared to control schools, children receiving the curriculum reported more frequent sun protection (p=0.0035), and a greater proportion wore long-sleeved shirts during recess (p<0.0001) and applied sunscreen (p<0.0001). Exposure to the curriculum improved knowledge (p<0.0001), decreased perceived barriers to using sunscreen (p=0.0046), enhanced self-efficacy expectations (p=0.0577) about sun safety, and reduced favorable attitudes toward sun tanning (p=0.0026 to <0.0001). In intent-to-treat analyses, the treatment effect was eliminated only under the most conservative assumptions about dropouts. Conclusions: Educational approaches to sun safety in middle school may be effective for improving children's sun safety. Potential trial limitations include measuring short-term outcomes, focusing on young adolescents, using active parental consent, and testing in the American Southwest.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.amepre.2005.08.046
DO - 10.1016/j.amepre.2005.08.046
M3 - Article
C2 - 16414419
AN - SCOPUS:30544451179
VL - 30
SP - 13
EP - 22
JO - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
JF - American Journal of Preventive Medicine
SN - 0749-3797
IS - 1
ER -