Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Dermatology
Date Submitted: Nov 22, 2021
Date Accepted: Feb 2, 2022
Date Submitted to PubMed: Aug 26, 2023
Use of the Sun Safe app by young teenagers increased their knowledge of the UV Index: results of pilot intervention studies
ABSTRACT
Background:
A balanced approach towards sun exposure and protection is needed by young people. Too much sun exposure increases their risk for skin cancers such as melanoma, while some is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones. We have developed a new iOS smartphone app – Sun Safe – through a co-design process which aims to support healthy and balanced decision-making by young teenagers (12-13 year-olds).
Objective:
We tested the capacity of Sun Safe to improve sun health knowledge and behaviours of young teenagers in three pilot intervention studies completed in 2020.
Methods:
Young teenagers (12-13 year-olds, n=57) were recruited online or through a local school via an open-access website and given access to Sun Safe (n=29) or a placebo (SunDial) app (n=28). Participants completed sun health questionnaires and knowledge quizzes before and after the 6-week intervention (either online or in-class) and rated the quality of the app they used via a survey.
Results:
51 participants (n=26 for placebo arm, n=25 for Sun Safe) completed these studies, with most (>50%) reporting that they used a smartphone to access their designated app either once a fortnight or once/twice in total. Improved sun health knowledge – particularly about the UV Index – was observed in participants given access to Sun Safe compared to placebo (-6.2 (percentage correct) difference in predicted means (95%CI, -12.4, -0.03, p=0.0489, 2-way ANOVA). Unexpectedly, there were significantly more sunburn events in the Sun Safe group (RR=1.7 (95%CI, 1.1, 1.8), p=0.02, Fisher’s Exact), although no differences in time spent outdoors nor sun protective behaviours were reported. COVID-19-pandemic community-wide shutdowns of April 2020 (when schools were closed) reduced time spent outdoors by >100 min/day (-105 (min/day) difference in prediced means (95%CI, -150, -59), p=0.002, paired Students’ t test). Sun Safe was well-rated by participants, particularly for information (4.2 ± 0.6, mean ± SD, out of 5).
Conclusions:
Access to the Sun Safe app increased sun health knowledge of young teenagers. Further interventions with larger sample sizes are required to test effects on sun protective behaviours.
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