Evaluation of a Sun Safety Education Program for High School Students in Beijing, China

Abstract

Actions in reducing excessive sun exposure during childhood and adolescence has been a goal of a series of programs. The objective of this study was to evaluate a multi-component high school-based intervention program to increase sun safety knowledge and sun protection behaviors among students in Beijing, China. Volunteers from three high schools in Beijing were randomized to three groups. Group A was given a 2-year intervention program consisting of multi-unit presentations plus a series of educational materials. Group B was given a 1-year intervention program with educational materials only. Group C was served as a control group. Questionnaires were answered by the three groups at baseline, year 1, and year 2. In our study, group A achieved significant improvements in all six questions about the sun and sunscreen knowledge at year 1. Group B achieved significant improvements in two questions. Both groups A and B achieved significant improvements in avoiding sun exposure at noon and seeking shade. Group A achieved improvements in almost all sun knowledge and sun protection behaviors, with the exception of using sunglasses, at year 2 compared with year 1. We conclude that school-based sun protection intervention increases student knowledge and changes student sun protection behaviors. The 2-year program could achieved better results than the 1-year program.

Effectiveness of Sun Protection Interventions Delivered to Adolescents in a Secondary School Setting: A Systematic Review

“…The geographical regions where the intervention was delivered were globally diverse; three studies each in Australia [ 12 , 15 , 23 ] and Iran [ 14 , 16 , 17 ], two in the United States [ 22 , 24 ], and one each in Brazil [ 14 ], China [ 20 ], Denmark [ 18 ], Spain [ 25 ], and Turkey [ 21 ]. Of the 13 studies, seven reported that they were based on a theoretical framework which included Protection Motivation Theory [ 13 , 17 ], the PRECEDE model [ 16 ], the Health Belief Model [ 22 ], the Theory of Planned Behaviour [ 23 ], the Extended Parallel Process Model [ 24 ], or some combination of behavioural frameworks [ 12 ].…”

“…Of the12 studies where duration of the intervention was provided, five were single sessions of less than one-hour duration [ 14 , 19 , 21 , 22 , 24 ]. The remaining interventions were longer with six reporting multiple sessions, usually over a block of time [ 12 , 13 , 18 , 23 ] with one exception where two lessons were delivered each year for three years [ 20 ]. The intervention where shade was provided was long-term [ 15 ].…”

“…The majority (77%) of the studies were RCT [ 12 – 16 , 18 – 20 , 22 , 23 ] with the other three being either a nonrandomised trial [ 21 , 24 ] or a controlled pre/postintervention [ 17 ]. Length of follow-up was short, with 10 studies being six months or less (ranging from four weeks to six months) [ 13 – 19 , 21 – 24 ].…”

“…Length of follow-up was short, with 10 studies being six months or less (ranging from four weeks to six months) [ 13 – 19 , 21 – 24 ]. Of the two studies with longer follow-up times, one was for two years [ 20 ] and the other three years [ 20 ]. The one study which comprised an environmental intervention of the provision of shade sails had continuous follow-up for 14 weeks [ 15 ].…”

The Application of Safety Education in Primary School Directorate in Indonesia

“…A study by Lai, using one control group and two intervention groups (A and B), where group A who were given a 2 years-long intervention program consisting of multi-unit presentations plus a series of educational materials resulted a more significant improvement than group B who were given one year-long education materials only. In addition, both groups also demonstrated positive improvement in subjects' behaviour after intervention, although with different degrees of improvement [12].…”