Educational Action in Adolescents of a Public School about the Prevention of Skin Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Skin cancer is the most prevalent malignancy worldwide. It is necessary to intervene from childhood in its prevention. The lack of awareness of the population demands photoeducation activities, so that photoprotection habits are built. Goals: Compare previous and immediately acquired knowledge and attitudes of primary school students, participants in this educational action aimed at the prevention of skin cancer. Analyze student satisfaction with the educational program attended. Method: A semi-experimental, quantitative study was carried out, based on educational intervention. The teachers, mediators of the intervention, were guided by the researcher, with two dialogical workshops. The educational program was applied over ten weekly activities, based on an active method, to 32 students from the eighth year of a public school in a municipality in the countryside of S?o Paulo, who answered questionnaires before the beginning and after the end of the activities. Sociodemographic data and phenotypic characteristics of risk for skin cancer, as well as information about knowledge and practice of photoprotective attitudes were previously collected. At the end of the educational intervention, students answered a close-ended questionnaire on knowledge and attitudes and a questionnaire on their satisfaction with the program. Quantitative and comparative analysis was carried out between the questionnaires on pre-intervention and post-intervention knowledge and attitudes. Results: The educational program was evaluated satisfactorily by the students, contributed to the learning of important concepts for photoprotection and changing attitudes. Conclusion: The educational program on the prevention of skin cancer, aimed at children and adolescents, using active teaching-learning methods, enabled the gain of knowledge and signs of photoprotective attitudes.