Can an hour or two of sun protection education keep the sunburn away? Evaluation of the Environmental Protection Agency's Sunwise School Program

BACKGROUND: Melanoma incidence is rising at a rate faster than any other preventable cancer in the United States. Childhood exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light increases risk for skin cancer as an adult, thus starting positive sun protection habits early may be key to reducing the incidence of this disease. METHODS: The Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise School Program, a national environmental and health education program for sun safety of children in primary and secondary schools (grades K-8), was evaluated with surveys administered to participating students and faculty. RESULTS: Pretests (n = 5,625) and posttests (n = 5,028) were completed by students in 102 schools in 42 states. Significant improvement was noted for the three knowledge variables. Intentions to play in the shade increased from 68% to 75%(p < 0.001) with more modest changes in intentions to use sunscreen. Attitudes regarding healthiness of a tan also decreased significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Brief, standardized sun protection education can be efficiently interwoven into existing school curricula, and result in improvements in knowledge and positive intentions for sun protection

A randomised controlled trial of a theory-based intervention to improve sun protective behaviour in adolescents ('you can still be HOT in the shade'): study protocol

Background: Most skin cancers are preventable by encouraging consistent use of sun protective behaviour. In Australia, adolescents have high levels of knowledge and awareness of the risks of skin cancer but exhibit significantly lower sun protection behaviours than adults. There is limited research aimed at understanding why people do or do not engage in sun protective behaviour, and an associated absence of theory-based interventions to improve sun safe behaviour. This paper presents the study protocol for a school-based intervention which aims to improve the sun safe behaviour of adolescents. Methods/design: Approximately 400 adolescents (aged 12-17 years) will be recruited through Queensland, Australia public and private schools and randomized to the intervention (n = 200) or 'wait-list' control group (n = 200). The intervention focuses on encouraging supportive sun protective attitudes and beliefs, fostering perceptions of normative support for sun protection behaviour, and increasing perceptions of control/self-efficacy over using sun protection. It will be delivered during three × one hour sessions over a three week period from a trained facilitator during class time. Data will be collected one week pre-intervention (Time 1), and at one week (Time 2) and four weeks (Time 3) post-intervention. Primary outcomes are intentions to sun protect and sun protection behaviour. Secondary outcomes include attitudes toward performing sun protective behaviours (i.e., attitudes), perceptions of normative support to sun protect (i.e., subjective norms, group norms, and image norms), and perceived control over performing sun protective behaviours (i.e., perceived behavioural control). Discussion: The study will provide valuable information about the effectiveness of the intervention in improving the sun protective behaviour of adolescents

Actinic Skin Damage and Mortality - the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND: Exposure to sunlight may decrease the risk of several diseases through the synthesis of vitamin D, whereas solar radiation is the main cause of some skin and eye diseases. However, to the best of our knowledge, the association of sun-induced skin damage with mortality remains unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Subjects were 8472 white participants aged 25-74 years in the First National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Epidemiologic Follow-up Study. Cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer mortality, and all-cause mortality were obtained by either a death certificate or a proxy interview, or both. Actinic skin damage was examined and recorded by the presence and severity (absent, minimal, moderate, or severe) of overall actinic skin damage and its components (i.e., fine telangiectasia, solar elastosis, and actinic keratoses). Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methods were applied to explore the associations. A total of 672 cancer deaths, 1500 cardiovascular disease deaths, and 2969 deaths from all causes were documented through the follow-up between 1971 and 1992. After controlling for potential confounding variables, severe overall actinic skin damage was associated with a 45% higher risk for all-cause mortality (95% CI: 1.22, 1.72; P<0.001), moderate overall skin damage with a 20% higher risk (95% CI: 1.08., 1.32; P<0.001), and minimal overall skin damage with no significant mortality difference, when compared to those with no skin damage. Similar results were obtained for all-cause mortality with fine telangiectasia, solar elastosis, and actinic keratoses. The results were similar for cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The present study gives an indication of an association of actinic skin damage with cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-cause mortality in white subjects. Given the lack of support in the scientific literature and potential unmeasured confounding factors, this finding should be interpreted with caution. More independent studies are needed before any practical recommendations can be made

Artificial and natural ultraviolet radiation exposure: Beliefs and behaviour of 7200 French adults

Background: Despite the increasing use of indoor tanning facilities, little is known regarding the behaviour of adults with respect to artificial and natural ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and the relationship between the two forms of exposure. Objectives: To describe the beliefs and behaviour of French middle-aged volunteers regarding artificial and natural UV exposure. Methods: Cross-sectional study of a French national cohort using a self-completed questionnaire. Results: Participants were identified as 'indoor UV tanners' (n = 1076) and as 'non-users' (n = 6124). Predictor factors associated with indoor tanning were gender, age, smoking, phototype, region of residence, sun exposure during hobbies, voluntary sun exposure in particular during the hottest hours of the day, nudism practice, facial sunscreen habits, sunglass use, importance for lying in the sun and the claim 'ever heard of melanoma'. Limitations: The quality of information may be limited by the data collection method. Conclusion: Whereas indoor tanning should be discouraged, it seems that indoor tanners are also regular sunbathers unconcerned about the risk of photoageing and skin cancer occurrence. Moreover, indoor tanners seem to have more behavioural risk factors for cancer, such as smoking. © 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © 2007 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.SCOPUS: ar.jFLWINinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Artificial and natural ultraviolet radiation exposure: beliefs and behaviour of 7200 French adults

International audienceDespite the increasing use of indoor tanning facilities, little is known regarding the behaviour of adults with respect to artificial and natural ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and the relationship between the two forms of exposure

Effects of postharvest treatments with chitosan and putrescine to maintain quality and extend shelf‐life of two banana cultivars

Chitosan (1.0% and 2.0%) and putrescine (1.0 and 2.0 mmol/L) treatments were used to investigate the effects of these compounds on the postharvest quality and shelf‐life of two banana cultivars, “Native” and “Cavendish.” Fruits were stored at 15 ± 2°C and a relative humidity of 85%–90% during a 20‐day period. In the controls, increases in weight loss, microbial population, total soluble solids, and ethylene production and decreases in firmness, ascorbic acid contents, and fruit lightness occurred gradually during storage. All these changes were delayed significantly after treatments with chitosan and putrescine. Application of putrescine and chitosan also caused small increases in phenolic compound contents and antioxidant activity at the end of the storage period. Results obtained suggest that a treatment with 1% chitosan is effective in improving the postharvest quality and shelf‐life of banana, and open the possibility that lower concentrations of chitosan may be also effective

Perry – Deep mapping and emotion in place-writing practice

Cities, Capitalism and the Politics of Sensibilities This book explores the connections between the processes of social structuring and sensibilities in contemporary cities. The transformations of capitalism on a global scale imply reconfigurations both in the way of planning and organizing cities, and in the ways of dwelling and feeling them. The generalization of the urban, the suburbanization of the metropolis, and classified and racializing segregation, just to mention some significant phenomena, not only introduce changes linked to the forms of consumption of the city and the land, the appropriation and privatization of collective places, the strategic revaluation of urban times and spaces, or the establishment of new centralities. They also involve changes in sensibilities, which translate into substantial transformations in the lives of people and groups that dwell in cities in the Global North and South. Based on various empirical records and methodological procedures, the chapters included in this book establish a fertile dialogue between collaborators from different geo-cultural contexts that locate urban experiences and sensibilities as a point of articulation to address the processes of social structuring on a global scale. Chapter Mansfield, C., Shepherd, D., Wassler, P. (2021) Perry-Deep mapping and emotion in place-writing practice Abstract This chapter proposes a preparatory method for researchers and literary travel writers who are planning inquiry into a new urban space, with the French port city of Cherbourg, presented as a case study to illustrate this process. Using theory from Onfray, Bartlett and Patron, and travel writing from Ernaux, Barthes, Mann and Sebald the work develops the research instrument of the hexis for collecting and arranging knowledge discovered during archive searches and literary reading