Impact of a School-Based Sun Protection Program on the Sun-Protective Behaviours of Turkish Adolescent

Friday, 26 July 2013: 8:30 AM

Ozcan Aygun, PhD
Emergency Medical Services, Sakarya Health Directorate of Ministry of Health, Sakarya, Turkey
Ayse Ergun, PhD
Community Health Nursing, Marmara University, College of Nursing, Istanbul, Turkey

Learning Objective 1: Turkish adolescent society, 1/3 per cent carry for risk skin cancer, this study did not affect students' level of knowledge was revealed.

Learning Objective 2: Sun protection program was revealed sun protection behavior and decisional balance pros developed using the outside hat use, that more effective on men.

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the effect of a Sun Protection Program (SPP) on the sun-protective behaviours of Turkish adolescent.  

Methods: This quasi-experimental study was of pretest – posttest and follow-up control group design. Ninety six students formed the intervention group while 84 students formed the control group in two schools. The data were collected with Sun Protection Scales of Transtheoretical Model and Sun Protection Behaviour Scale.

Results: Of the adolescents participating in the study, 50.3% were girls, with a mean age of 12.10±0.68. There were no statistically significant differences before and after the SPP in knowledge values  (p>.05). The intervention group significantly improved in sun protection and sunscreen use stage of change, compared with the control group at 1 months (p<.05), but no difference 3 months. The sun protection program significantly increased sun protection behaviours and the perception of sun protection behaviour pros, self-efficacy and subscales at 1 months (p<.05). No significant differences existed in all scales between the two groups at 3 months (p>.05).

Conclusion: Sun Protection Programe was effective in increasing sun protection behaviors, the perception of pros and self-efficacy scores, but not found differences knowledge.