Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

SUNNY DAYS, HEALTHY WAYS

OVERVIEW

Sunny Days, Healthy Ways is a sun safety curriculum for children in grades K through 8. In a random assignment study evaluating the effectiveness of the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways curriculum for middle school students, students in schools randomly assigned to implement the curriculum were compared with students in schools assigned to implement no intervention. Following the intervention period, students from treatment schools reported engaging sun protection behaviors significantly more frequently than did students from control schools. Treatment students had greater knowledge of sun safety, perceived fewer barriers to using sunscreen, and had less favorable attitudes toward tanning, as compared with control students. Treatment students did not score significantly better than control students on all measures of sun safety, however. On reports of recent sun exposure, treatment students did not differ significantly from control students.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: children enrolled in grades K though 8

Sunny Days, Healthy Ways is a cross-curricular approach to teaching skin cancer prevention skills to children in grades K through 8. The intervention is based on social cognitive theory and addresses prevention strategies such as selecting and applying sunscreen, selecting sun protective clothing, hats, and sunglasses, using shade, and minimizing time in the sun. The program encourages students to set sun protection goals, monitor the progress of these goals, and overcome barriers to sun protection.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Buller, D. B., Reynolds, K. D., Yaroch, A., Cutter, G. R., Hines, J. M., Geno, C. R., Maloy, J. A., Brown, M., Woodall, W. G., & Grandpre, J. (2006). Effects of the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways curriculum on students in grades 6 to 8. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 30(1), 13-22.

Evaluated population: The sample population consisted of 1769 students from 28 middle schools in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. 78% of the sample was white, 6% was black, 8% was American Indian, and 8% was Asian or Pacific Islander. About one-quarter reported being Hispanic.

Approach: 30 schools were selected to participate in this study, though two schools that were paired were eliminated. Schools were matched into pairs and then randomly assigned, within pairs, to either the control group or the treatment group. Health education and science teachers from schools assigned to the treatment group attended a two-hour training session on the Sunny Days, Healthy Ways curriculum. These teachers then led students in the curriculum over the course of six weeks.

Prior to curriculum implementation, students were surveyed on sun-safety knowledge, attitudes toward sun exposure/protection, and self-efficacy expectations. Additionally, skin tone assessments were performed on a subsample of students from each school. Using the same procedure as in pre-testing, students were post-tested approximately one month after the completion of the intervention; 87 percent completed the post-test.

Results: Sunny Days, Healthy Ways had an impact on a variety of attitudes and behaviors. Following the intervention period, students from treatment schools reported engaging in sun protection behaviors significantly more frequently than did students from control schools. Treatment students had greater knowledge of sun safety, perceived fewer barriers to using sunscreen, and had less favorable attitudes toward tanning, compared with control students. Treatment students were more likely to use sunscreen, wear long-sleeved shirts during recess, and stay in the shade. However, they did not score significantly better than control students on all measures of sun safety. On reports of recent sun exposure, treatment students did not differ from control students.

Note: Analyses were designed to adjust for the effect of clustering within schools.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Link to program curriculum:

http://sdhw.info/curriculum/1_aboutcurriculum.asp

References:

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 11-15

Program age ranges in the guide: Middle Childhood, Adolescence, Youth

Program components: School-Based

Measured outcomes: Physical Health

Program information last updated on 11/7/07.