Summary
Funder: Universities UK
Background
Despite strong clinical evidence supporting the benefits of sun protection,1 only a small percentage of children in Welsh and Canadian elementary schools practice sun safety behaviours. Inadequate sun protection at an early age is linked to an increased risk of melanoma and other skin cancers. Developing sun-safety habits during elementary school is crucial and school based programmes are recommended by the World Health Organisation as the key to prevention.
Research conducted in Alberta, Canada, has led to the development and trial of interventions that have demonstrated improved sun safety preparedness among school-aged children. Collaboration with global researchers, such as Dr Julie Peconi in the UK, who has studied sun safety policies and awareness in Welsh primary schools, could further refine intervention components, educational approaches, implementation, and evaluation. This partnership will also advance research in a relatively underexplored area, contributing data to advocate for international efforts to reduce the global rise in skin cancer rates.
Project Collaboration Goal
By bringing together our diverse expertise and knowledge of sun safety in elementary schools, we will be able to take a multidisciplinary approach to this complex problem, potentially leading to novel solutions. Furthermore, sharing resources can improve the quality and scope of this research, while different perspectives and methodologies lead to more comprehensive and innovative solutions. Our goal is that this collaborative effort will provide more insight and reach a larger population, influencing policy and sun safety practice in elementary schools in both partner countries.
Project Objectives
- Establish an international multi-disciplinary team of researchers and other stakeholders in sun safety education and skin cancer prevention.
- Share experience and data collection tools and methods with respect to scoping the landscape for sun safety in primary schools in both countries.
- Develop and integrate comprehensive educational materials for elementary school classrooms to enhance children’s knowledge, behaviours and understanding of sun safety.
- Design a pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of these educational materials on students’ sun safety behaviors in Wales, UK and in Alberta, Canada.
Global Wales Partnership in the News
We were pleased to see many online media sources reporting our transatlantic collaboration to help improve sun safety in our primary schools. The project was featured in:
Contact Details
Wales:
Dr Julie Peconi
Phone: 01792 606226
Email: j.peconi@swansea.ac.uk
Canada:
Dr Marlene Dytoc
Email: mdytoc@ualberta.ca
Contact Details
Trial Manager / Lead Contact: Dr Julie Peconi
Phone: 01792 606226
Email: j.peconi@swansea.ac.uk