SUN-RELATED ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS AMONG QUEENSLAND SCHOOL-CHILDREN - THE ROLE OF GENDER AND AGE

A cross-sectional study of the sun-related attitudes and beliefs of 3 655 children in Grades 7 to 11 attending 55 representative Queensland schools was undertaken using a structured questionnaire administered a t school. Factors derived from a series of focus groups were incorpora ted into the questionnaire. Knowledge about risk factors in the aetiol ogy of skin cancer and the role of protective measures was high. Sever al potential barriers to the use of sun protection were identified, in cluding the desire to be tanned, the perceived attitudes of the peer g roup to sun protection, and difficulties with the use of specific sun protection measures. In general, these barriers were significantly mor e prominent among boys and children from older grades than other stude nts. These data will be used to design school-based sun protection int erventions which are sensitive to these age and sex differences.