Effects of a Preschool Staff Intervention on Children's Sun Protection: Outcomes of Sun Protection Is Fun

The preschool is an important yet understudied setting for sun-protection interventions. This study evaluates the effects of Sun Protection is Fun! (SPF) on preschool staff behavioral and psychosocial outcomes related to protecting children from sun exposure. Twenty preschools participated in a 2-ye...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education & behavior 2007-08, Vol.34 (4), p.562-577
Main Authors: Gritz, Ellen R., Tripp, Mary K., James, Aimee S., Harrist, Ronald B., Mueller, Nancy H., Chamberlain, Robert M., Parcel, Guy S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cancer
Case Studies
Child Welfare
Child, Preschool
Children & youth
Cross-Sectional Studies
Epistemology
Faculty
Female
Health Behavior
Health behaviour
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health Promotion
Humans
Intervention
Interventions
Male
Outcome Assessment (Health Care)
Preschool children
Preschool Education
Preschools
Prevention
Program Effectiveness
Self Efficacy
Skin
Skin Neoplasms - prevention & control
Staff
Staff Development
Sunburn & sun tanning
Sunburn - prevention & control
Sunscreens
Surveys
Videotape Recordings
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Summary:The preschool is an important yet understudied setting for sun-protection interventions. This study evaluates the effects of Sun Protection is Fun! (SPF) on preschool staff behavioral and psychosocial outcomes related to protecting children from sun exposure. Twenty preschools participated in a 2-year, group-randomized trial to evaluate SPF, a behavioral intervention grounded in social cognitive theory and designed to be more extensive than previous preschool sun-protection interventions. The staff intervention included training, a video, newsletters, a curriculum, and sunscreen. Cross-sectional samples of staff completed surveys at baseline (N= 245), a 12month intervention assessment (N= 192), and a 24-month intervention assessment (N= 225). At the 12-month and 24-month assessments, significant behavioral effects were seen for use of sunscreen, protective clothing, and shade. Knowledge, self-efficacy, and norms were among the psychosocial variables most affected by the intervention. This study demonstrates that the SPF intervention is effective in improving staff outcomes related to children's sun protection.
ISSN:1090-1981
1552-6127
DOI:10.1177/1090198105277850