15677 The importance of sun safety education in public schools

Abstract

One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, but 80% of skin cancer is preventable. According to WHO, the majority of sun exposure occurs before the age of 18. Many schools in San Antonio are not educating students on this topic. Be Sun Safe is an innovative curriculum that we created that addresses this problem through a short powerpoint presentation that educates children, parents, and teachers in San Antonio regarding sun protection and skin cancer prevention. Ten presentations were given to elementary school students, parents, and teachers in San Antonio. 3rd and 5th graders who attended these presentations took a pre- and posttest that assessed their knowledge on sun protection and whether they use sunscreen. 106 students in 3rd grade and 95 students in 5th grade took the pre- and posttest. Both classes improved their score from the pre to the posttest, 3rd graders missed an average of 2.454 questions on the pretest and 2.121 questions on the posttest. Fifth graders missed an average of 3.290 questions on the pretest and 1.210 questions on the posttest. In addition, only 36% of 3rd graders and 16% of 5th graders claimed that they always use sunscreen. Overall, students improved their knowledge regarding sun protection by listening to the presentation. Of note, many of the students do not use sunscreen. It is imperative that children, parents, and teachers continue to be educated in San Antonio so that the next generation can protect themselves from the sun.