A randomised trial assessing a shade development intervention in secondary schools for adolescent skin cancer prevention [ 2004 - 2006 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Dr Suzanne Dobbinson (Principal investigator)

Brief description Skin cancer is a significant burden to health costs, and morbidity and mortality in Australia. Reduction of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight, particularly during childhood and adolescence is an important strategy for preventing skin cancer in later life. Adolescents have been particularly resistant to skin cancer prevention messages. Despite a high knowledge of skin cancer, the majority of Australian adolescents report a reliance on sunscreen, a resistance to hat wearing, and commonly experience sunburn, an important indicator of increased risk of skin cancer. Psycho-social interventions have shown limited influence on adolescents' sun protective behaviours to date. The current research proposal explores an alternative approach to psycho-social interventions for adolescents. The study will assess the effect of increasing available shade at secondary schools. In a randomised control trial study design, the change in the number of students using certain outdoor areas at intervention schools will be observed 'before' and 'after' the installation of built shade sail structures. Our main hypothesis states that the number of students using these newly shaded areas in intervention schools will increase compared with use of equivalent unshaded areas in control schools. Shade development is increasingly becoming an issue for secondary schools and given both the high cost of providing shade structures and adolescents' resistance to other forms of sun protection it is important to establish that adolescents will use this form of sun protection. This study will determine whether adolescents actively avoid or seek shade and so provide evidence for informing decisions about further investment in shade provision in schools.

Funding Amount $AUD 709,615.00

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes New Investigator Grant