SunChat: SUN safety Conversations about Healthy Attitudes to Tanning: exploring perceptions of school children and their parents/carers
Why this project?
Skin cancer, including melanoma and non-melanoma (keratinocyte) now comprises half of all cancers in England and Wales (Levell, 2021). Yet it is reported that 86% of melanomas may be prevented with safer sun exposure and scientists who specialise in skin and/or cancer agree there is no such thing as a ‘safe tan’.
Sun safety is an important public health issue that affects everyone, including children and young people. Over exposure as a child greatly increases the risk of developing skin cancer in the future so childhood is seen as a critical time for promoting healthy behaviours such as sun protection.
However, research evidence suggests that positive attitudes towards tanning can lead to more frequent and deliberate unprotected sun exposure, putting people at risk for future skin damage and skin cancer. Work is therefore urgently needed to understand and address the misconceptions of the perceived health benefits of tanning. However, there has been no work to date in Wales which explores children and their parents’/carers’ perceptions of tanning and how healthier attitudes and behaviours can be encouraged and adopted from a young age.
The aim of SunChat is to gather data regarding perceptions of tanning and explore the perceived effects on health to inform the development and testing of an educational toolkit for integration within the new curriculum to encourage children’s healthy behaviour towards tanning and sun exposure.
How?
The Curriculum for Wales with its designated area for Health and Well-being and autonomy for schools in designing curriculum content, presents an ideal way to facilitate an exploration into prevention of future health conditions with awareness and education. One way in which this is being undertaken is via child-led ‘healthy schools’ clubs. Focusing on understanding how different health dimensions, e.g. physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being play a role in children’s lives, the Health and Well-being curriculum area also supports children to incorporate healthy attitudes, some of which could include better practices around tanning and sun exposure.
What we will do:
SunChat consists of several strands, involving primary school teachers, parents and carers and school children. We will use a variety of research methods to collect data, see the Table below for an overview!
Who will benefit:
This project will give us more information on children’s and parent’s perceptions of tanning.
With skin cancer an issue in Wales, rising rates will not only continue to effect health and well-being but will overburden NHS dermatology services and care for other skin conditions, affecting future use of services for today’s children. SunChat aligns with the agenda of the Welsh Government set out in ‘A Healthier Wales’ by prioritising prevention and helping people remain healthier. The project is also clearly aligned with the focus of Well-being of Future Generations (WFG) Act which aims to ensure that everyone understands how their behaviour today (such as managing their desire for a tan in a healthy way) can benefit their future health. We also make the connection between how a healthy environment (school) can influence better health and wellbeing for all generations in Wales.
All data collected in will be analysed and results will be used to inform future studies and interventions with young children across Wales.
