title: The SunWise Policy intervention for school-based sun protection: a pilot study.
abstract: Skin cancer is highly preventable, but clearly there is a critical need to focus on better ways to disseminate information about known skin cancer prevention. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) SunWise Program is one channel for reaching children, teachers, and school nurses. In a pilot study designed to increase adoption of school-based sun protection policies, 28 schools were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Control, which included the EPA's original SunWise curriculum toolkit; SunWise Policy, which included a revised toolkit emphasizing policy; and SunWise Policy plus Technical Assistance, which included the policy toolkit and 3 technical assistance phone calls. The enhanced SunWise Policy plus Technical Assistance intervention led to more new sun protection policies. Use of study interventions for improving sun protection practices such as policy toolkits or brief counseling can be easily interwoven into school hours by school nurses and other health educators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, USA.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Emmons
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Geller
authors.forename: Vish
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Viswanath
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rutsch
authors.forename: Jodie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zwirn
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gorham
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puleo