Research Mentor Name

Steven Daveluy, MD

Research Mentor Email Address

sdaveluy@med.wayne.edu

Institution / Department

Wayne State School of Medicine

Document Type

Research Abstract

Research Type

publichealth

Level of Research

yes

Abstract

Introduction:

Skin cancer is less prevalent in persons with darker skin color compared to those with light skin, but contrarily is associated with greater mortality rates. Experts agree this is primarily due to late detection. Challenges in early detection include low public awareness, uncommon presentation, lower index of suspicion among health care providers, and decreased access to specialty care. To address some of these barriers, we designed a survey-based study to discover current beliefs, perceptions, and attitudes of urban youth towards sun protection before and after an educational intervention.

Methods:

In 2022, 17 children living in metro Detroit participated in an educational presentation regarding sun protection and completed pre- and post- surveys. Statistical significance was calculated via Chi-square tests.

Results:

After education, there was a significant increase in likelihood of sunscreen application before going outdoors (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference after education regarding sunscreen beliefs (p = 0.463), sunscreen application frequency (p= 0.835), reapplication of sunscreen (p=1.074), daily sunscreen application (p=0.099), alternative sun protection (p=0.863), and likelihood of sharing about sun protection (p=0.227).

Conclusions:

This study was paired with a program that encouraged children to be active outside. The aim was to increase the likelihood of sunscreen application before going outdoors. In the pre-survey, more people said they would tell family and friends, but this was not reflected in the post survey. Future directions could include an interactive activity to share educational information and reinforce objectives.

Disciplines

Dermatology | Family Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Preventive Medicine

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