Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
SunSmart Victoria, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Health Promot J Austr. 2020 Apr;31(2):258-267. doi: 10.1002/hpja.273. Epub 2019 Jul 23.
This qualitative study aimed to explore sun protection barriers and enablers in secondary schools in Victoria.
Five focus groups were conducted with nominated Health or Physical Education (PE) Coordinators (or other staff representatives) from schools in metropolitan and regional Victoria. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded thematically.
Participants identified the need for regulatory influences that included minimum standards for sun protection policy, training and shade in the built environment. Participants perceived that sun protection is not always acknowledged to be a duty of care in secondary schools. A crowded health and well-being curriculum, a focus on fostering independence, and challenges overcoming peer norms were perceived to be important contextual influences. At an organisational level, strong leadership and a united approach among staff were identified as critical ingredients for successful policy implementation and organisational change. Several potentially effective strategies were proposed, including increased shade, leveraging from student leaders, normalising sun protection practices and prioritising staff role modelling.
A cultural shift is required for many schools to accept and act on sun protection as a duty of care. A comprehensive approach that includes regulatory action, healthy school policies and leading by example may help protect students and staff from harmful UV exposure during school hours. SO WHAT?: Without regulatory support, strong leadership is required to implement and enforce sun protection practices within schools. Health promotion programs could assist schools to trial and evaluate the sun protection strategies that involve student-led solutions, role modelling and increasing shade.
本定性研究旨在探索维多利亚州中学的防晒障碍和促进因素。
在维多利亚州大都市区和地区的学校中，选择指定的健康或体育教育（PE）协调员（或其他工作人员代表）进行了 5 个焦点小组讨论。讨论内容进行了录音、转录和主题编码。
参与者认为需要进行监管干预，包括防晒政策、培训和建筑环境中的遮阳设施的最低标准。参与者认为，在中学中，防晒措施并不总是被认为是一种关怀责任。健康和福利课程内容繁杂、培养独立性的重点以及克服同辈规范的挑战被认为是重要的背景影响因素。在组织层面上，强有力的领导和工作人员之间的一致方法被认为是成功实施政策和组织变革的关键要素。提出了几种潜在有效的策略，包括增加遮阳设施、利用学生领袖、使防晒实践正常化以及优先考虑工作人员的榜样作用。
许多学校需要转变观念，将防晒作为关怀责任来接受和实施。综合的方法，包括监管行动、健康的学校政策和以身作则，可能有助于保护学生和工作人员免受在学校期间有害紫外线的照射。那么，该怎么做呢？在没有监管支持的情况下，需要强有力的领导才能在学校内实施和执行防晒措施。健康促进计划可以帮助学校试验和评估涉及学生主导解决方案、榜样作用和增加遮阳设施的防晒策略。
