SUNNY DAYS, HEALTHY WAYS - EVALUATION OF A SKIN-CANCER PREVENTION CURRICULUM FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Background: Primary prevention of skin cancer must start early in Life to reduce total lifetime sun exposure and severe overexposure in chil dhood. Childhood is an excellent time to form life-long prevention hab its, A school-based curriculum can be an effective prevention strategy . Objective: Our purpose was to determine the effectiveness of a skin cancer prevention curriculum at increasing knowledge and attitudes sup porting prevention and decreasing sun exposure by children in grades f our, five, and six. Methods: Twenty-four classes (N = 447 students) fr om four public elementary schools in southern Arizona participated. Ha lf received a pretest, half were tested at the conclusion of the 5-wee k curriculum in early spring, and half were tested 8 weeks later in la te spring, Objective measures of suntanning were obtained. Results: Th e curriculum increased knowledge about skin cancer prevention and atti tudes supporting prevention and decreased suntanning. Self-reported pr eventive behavior was inconsistent and only weakly associated with mea sures of suntanning. Conclusion: The curriculum was effective at incre asing skin cancer prevention. Resulting reduction in sun exposure was superior to that achieved with previous prevention curricula, Change i n attitude needed time to emerge, appearing after 8 weeks, Self-report ed preventive behavior by children in elementary school may lack valid ity. Pretesting did not alter effectiveness. Sixth-graders may be read y for more advanced content, but the curriculum is probably too advanc ed for kindergarten through third grade.