Effects of the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways Curriculum on Students in Grades 6 to 8

Background There are few effective sun-safety education programs for use in secondary schools. Project aims were to create a sun-safety curriculum for grades 6 to 8, and to test whether exposure to the curriculum would increase children's sun-protection behavior. Design A pair-matched, group-randomized, pre-–post test, controlled trial was performed with middle schools as the unit of randomization. Teachers implemented the six-unit sun-safety curriculum in 2001–2003, and analyses were performed in 2003–2004. Setting/Participants A total of 2038 children from 30 middle schools in Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Main Outcome Measures Self-reported sun-protection behavior using frequency ratings and diary. Results Compared to control schools, children receiving the curriculum reported more frequent sun protection ( p =0.0035), and a greater proportion wore long-sleeved shirts during recess ( p p p p =0.0046), enhanced self-efficacy expectations ( p =0.0577) about sun safety, and reduced favorable attitudes toward sun tanning ( p =0.0026 to Conclusions Educational approaches to sun safety in middle school may be effective for improving children's sun safety. Potential trial limitations include measuring short-term outcomes, focusing on young adolescents, using active parental consent, and testing in the American Southwest.