State SUNucate Laws, the Popularity of Google Searches for Terms Related to Sun Protection, and Youth Sunscreen Use

Abstract

Objective: Our objective was to determine whether state SUNucate laws – which have been adopted by 27 states and require schools to permit youths to carry and apply sunscreen on school grounds – were associated with changes in Google Search behavior for words and phrases related to sun protection as well as self-reported sunscreen use by youths. Methods: This was an observational study examining: (1) Google Trends search popularity for terms such as "sunscreen" and "SPF" by state, month, and year for 2004-2022; and (2) self-reported sunscreen use by high school youth in the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey during 2009-2019. Results: State SUNucate laws were associated with increased Google search popularity of terms related to sun protection. Google search popularity for ‘sunscreen’ increased by 27.2% (95% CI 12.67% to 41.7%; p < .001). State SUNucate laws were also associated with increased sunscreen use among high school youths by 8.3% (95% CI 0.014% to 15.0%; p < .05). Conclusion: State SUNucate laws may be effective tools for increasing population search behavior for sun protection terms and youth sunscreen use.