Evaluation of primary prevention initiatives for skin cancer: a review from a U.K. perspective

Abstract

To ensure effective primary prevention of skin cancer, aimed at changing behaviour in the sun, and ultimately at reducing the incidence and mortality rates from skin cancer, sufficient information needs to be known about the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer, the effectiveness of sun protection measures, and the acceptability and uptake of protective measures by the general public. This review specifically addresses the quality and outcome of studies designed to evaluate the impact of primary prevention initiatives in the U.K. Four main areas of concern are highlighted: (i) teenage behaviour in the sun is difficult to change; (ii) fashion, in part, dictates adult and adolescent behaviour in the sun; (iii) there are practical problems related to response rates, follow-up and interpretation of self-reported behaviour; and (iv) a strategy for primary prevention in the U.K. may be falsely based on the experience and results of Australian and American programmes. Standardized methods for monitoring general population behaviour are needed in the U.K. Evaluation of interventions targeting specific groups, especially parents and young children, and the relative costs of different strategies should be reported. Primary prevention messages and strategies should be adapted to the type of ultraviolet radiation exposure experienced, and the overall low risk of melanoma, while addressing controversies on the health effects of sun exposure and sun screens.

Sun habits in the children of Southern Italy

“…10,11 In Australia, a community-wide intervention, the Sunsmart program, which spanned several years, was associated with a decrease in the incidence of sunburns during a 3-year period. 12 Our results show the need for educating the public to use adequate sun exposure; although 45% of our children were exposed to the sun less than 2 hours a day and another 45% between 2 and 4 hours a day, 71.2% stayed in the sun during peak hours (from 11 AM to 4 PM).…”

Comparing Personal Risk, Melanoma Knowledge and Protective Behaviour in People With and Without Melanoma: A Postal Survey to Explore Educational Needs in Northeast Scotland

“…This could be important since a great deal of resource and effort has been devoted to public education campaigns about skin cancer, for example the Cancer Research UK SunSmart campaign [10]. To date, there is little evidence that such campaigns can be effective in increasing melanoma knowledge and protective behaviour in the general UK population [11]. Comparing knowledge about melanoma and protective behaviour between those who have been powerfully motivated to learn about the disease and take steps to prevent it in the future, and the general population will provide some insight into the effectiveness of current educational strategies targeted at the general UK population.…”

Skin sun-acne tutorial evaluation among middle- and high-school students in central New Jersey

“…3 Most of these previous programs achieved modest success in changing the sun-safety knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of the participants. 4 However, many of these previous programs had difficulty maintaining the participants' attention because skin cancer is so uncommon among the adolescent population and because adolescents perceive a tan as attractive and ''healthy.'' 5 Unlike melanoma, which affects between 0.5 to 3.5 per million children younger than 20 years, acne is common among teens, affecting 85% of teens.…”