Kiwi kids receive higher daily UV doses
during summer school weeks than on weekends, according to a University
of Otago study - a finding which highlights the importance of sun protection
programmes at schools, researchers say.
The Sun Study, carried out in collaboration with NIWA and funded by
the Cancer Society, used UV-monitoring badges to record the sun exposure
of nearly 500 school children around New Zealand over the 2004/2005
summer.
The 488 children from Years 4 and 8 also filled out activity diaries
and questionnaires to gauge their sun-related knowledge, attitudes
and behaviour, says co-investigator and University of Otago PhD student
Caradee Wright, who is presenting findings at a UV workshop on Friday
21 April.
Ms Wright and fellow public health student Vanessa Hammond visited
27 schools in the Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago/Southland
regions to collect the data.
After analysing the data with help from biostatistician Andrew Gray
of the University's Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, they
found that although girls among the older age group knew more about
sun protection than boys, their sun protection behaviour was less protective
than younger boys and girls, says Ms Wright.
" In contrast, the younger girls' behaviour was the most
protective of all. Older children in general were more likely to
express positive
attitudes towards a suntan than the younger ones," she said.
" When we looked at total daily UV exposure, we found that
children in Northern regions and older children received higher UV
doses. Interestingly,
total daily UV doses were higher on weekdays compared to the weekend,
indicating the importance sun protection programmes at schools," she
said.
Passive outdoor pursuits, such as sunbathing and reading, were associated
with higher UV exposures than active ones, she says.
Wearing a hat was found to be the most common means children used
to protect themselves from the sun.
" Overall, we found that the children's sun-related knowledge
and behaviour were more likely to be preventive for melanoma when attitudes
towards a suntan were not positive. This finding could be potentially
useful in future for skin cancer prevention / sun protection health
promotion efforts."
The study involved collaboration between Dr Tony Reeder (Social and
Behavioural Research and Cancer Group) and Associate Professor Brian
Cox (Hugh Adam Cancer Epidemiology Unit) at the University of Otago,
and Dr Greg Bodeker and Dr Richard McKenzie at the National Institute
of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
The findings will be presented at the NIWA UV Radiation and its Effects:
an update (2006) Workshop in Dunedin. Further results will be presented
at the American Society for Photobiology Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico
in July.
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