PDF (Sun Protection / Skin Cancer Detection Report for the South ...

I
Bristol
Business School
Mothers of Young Children / Childcare Facilities
This group must be a priority target for interventions as up to 80% of lifetime exposure to
91, 92
UVR occurs before adulthood
Insights from Literature
While parents appear to take adequate measures to protect infants from the sun, these
measures are not continued as children become toddlers 93 . In the USA, less than half of
parents regularly used sun protection for children, with unwise attitudes evident such as sun
exposure being ‘healthy’, children looking ‘better with a tan’ and it being OK to stay out in
the sun longer if sunscreen is used 94 . It is possible, perhaps even likely that similar attitudes
are held by parents in the UK, however the issue warrants specific research to determine the
extent and strengths of these attitudes.
It is probable that many parents do not understand the link between excessive sun exposure in
childhood and the increased risk of skin cancer later in life 95,96 . Research in both Australia
and the UK indicates that parents need information on strategies to effectively implement sun
protection behaviours with both children and adolescents, and also on the way sunscreen
efficacy is affected by factors such as water exposure 97 .
Probable Behavioural Triggers
In terms of the relevant theories, many of the key factors such as personal relevance,
seriousness of consequences and efficacy / benefits are factors that appear, from the above, to
be areas of uncertainty rather than firm beliefs. Interventions should be based on latent
concerns for ‘doing the best thing’ for children and families and focus on providing facts
about cancer risks together with practical advice for mothers.
We would re-emphasise the last point about parents ‘wanting the best’ for their kids. No
parent wants to be regarded as a ‘bad’ mum or dad. This is a powerful, if rather negative,
motivator, and should be considered maybe in conjunction with schools based campaigns. A
more positive spin would be something based on the ‘Block the sun not the fun’ campaign
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