Cancer Control Research
5R01CA079701-02
Buller, David B.
SUNNY DAYS HEALTHY WAYS GRADES 6-8 SUN SAFETY CURRICULUM
AbstractU. of Arizona Cancer Center (ACC) and U. of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB)
will develop a sun safety curriculum for children in grades 6-8 that
contains classroom instruction and interactive multimedia computer
programs and evaluate its ability to increase children's sun protection
attitudes and behaviors (limit time in sun and use protective clothing,
sunscreen, and shade), produce a sun safety norm, and decrease tanning
norms in a community trial in public schools. Skin cancer is epidemic.
Childhood solar protection could reduce UVR exposure and the risk of
skin cancer since severe childhood sunburns and intermittent exposure
may promote melanoma and basal cell carcinoma and lifetime sun exposure
(most occurs in childhood) is associated with squamous cell carcinoma.
The curriculum will integrate with the ACC's successful Sunny Days,
Healthy Ways grade K-5 sun safety curriculum and build upon a pilot
middle school program by UAB. In Phase I (Y1 and Y2), curriculum
components will be created for each grade, containing interactive
exercises by teachers and interactive multimedia programs utilizing peer
models. Social Cognitive Theory and persuasion theories will guide
curriculum design. It will focus on outcome and self-efficacy
expectations, goal-setting, behavioral skills, self-monitoring, and
reinforcements for sun safety. Student and teacher focus groups, an
external advisory board, and assessment of school policies and
environment will aid curriculum designers. Student surveys will be
pilot-tested. The curriculum will be evaluated in Phase II (Y3 and Y4)
in a pair-matched randomized pretest-posttest control group community
trial, enrolling 15 pairs of schools from five public school districts
in AZ, AL, and FL (150+ students tested per school). Process evaluation
will monitor implementation and multimedia use. Outcome evaluation will
assess changes in attitudes and behaviors, self-efficacy and outcome
expectations, and tanning and sun safety norms with a first
implementation in the 1999-2000 academic year and a second
implementation in 2000-01.
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