A survey of sun protection policy and education in secondary schools

Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued recommendations for school programs to reduce skin cancer. Objective: Personnel at US secondary schools were surveyed to describe sun protection policy and education before the CDC recommendations. Methods: School principals or other personnel at 484 secondary schools in 27 cities responded to a telephone survey in January and February 2002 (response rate = 31%). Results: A sun protection policy was reported at 10% of the schools, but sun protection education occurred at nearly all schools (96%). Policies were more prevalent in regions with high ultraviolet radiation (P < .0001), but education was not. Many personnel were willing to adopt a policy (41%) and interested in obtaining a sun safety curriculum (96%). Limitations: Self-report measures, nonresponse, and new schools not in the sampling frame. Conclusion: Sun protection was a low policy priority for US schools. Sun safety education was prevalent, but written materials were used infrequently. A substantial proportion of school personnel were receptive to the CDC's advice.