title: Changing the risky beliefs of post-partum women about therapeutic sun-exposure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many post-partum women hold risky beliefs about perceived therapeutic benefits of sun-exposure in the post-partum period and infancy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Can a maternity hospital based educational intervention reduce the prevalence of such beliefs among post-partum women?
  
  
  METHODS
  In this outcome evaluation of an interventional study, two groups of healthy post-partum women (hospital inpatients) were interviewed, 1-4 days following delivery. The first cross-section (106 women) was recruited prior to in-services for maternity staff; the second (203 women) was recruited after completion of the in-services. Data were compared between the groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More pre-intervention than post-intervention women reported they would expose their baby to sunlight to treat suspected jaundice (28.8% vs. 13.3%; p<0.001) or help his/her skin adapt to the sun (10.5% vs. 2.5%; p=0.003); or use sunlight to manage breastfeeding-associated sore/cracked nipples (7.6% vs. 2%; p=0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This simple, effective educational intervention could be implemented in programmes for parents, health professionals and students.
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Research Group, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Qld 4811, Australia. Simone.Harrison@jcu.edu.au
authors.forename: Simone L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Susan G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Devine
authors.forename: Vicki L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Saunders
authors.forename: Annika D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Petra G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Buettner
authors.forename: Madeleine J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nowak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003469:Culture; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Midwives; Neonatal jaundice; Perceived therapeutic benefits; Post-partum women; Sun-exposure