Solar UV Forecasts: A Randomized Trial Assessing Their Impact on Adults' Sun-Protection Behavior

• Published in: Health education & behavior Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 486 - 502
• Main Authors: Dixon, Helen G., Hill, David J., Karoly, David J., Jolley, Damien J., Aden, Said M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA Sage Publications 01.06.2007; Sage; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Australia; Avoidance; Biological and medical sciences; Climatology; Clinical trials; Dermatology; Email; Female; Forecasting; Forecasts; Health Behavior; Humans; Information Dissemination; Internet access; Mail; Male; Medical sciences; Messages; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Prevention; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; REGULAR ARTICLES; Skin cancer; Skin Neoplasms - prevention & control; Solar Energy; Summer; Sun; Sunburn; Sunburn & sun tanning; Sunscreens; Tumors of the skin and soft tissue. Premalignant lesions; Ultraviolet radiation; Ultraviolet Rays; Weather; Weather forecasting; Workplaces; World Wide Web; Australia; skin cancer prevention; UV forecasts; intervention; sun protection; Human; Evaluation; Skin disease; Sun protection; Malignant tumor; Skin cancer; Prevention; Randomization; Ultraviolet radiation; Treatment; UVforecasts; Adult; Clinical trial; Behavior; Public health
• ISSN: 1090-1981; 1552-6127
• DOI: 10.1177/1090198106294644

This study examined the effectiveness of solar UV forecasts and supporting communications in assisting adults to protect themselves from excessive weekend sun exposure. The study was conducted in Australia, where 557 adult participants with workplace e-mail and Internet access were randomly allocated to one of three weather forecast conditions: standard forecast (no UV), standard forecast + UV, standard forecast + UV + sun-protection messages. From late spring through summer and early autumn, they were e-mailed weekend weather forecasts late in the working week. Each Monday they were e-mailed a prompt to complete a Web-based questionnaire to report sun-related behavior and any sunburn experienced during the previous weekend. There were no significant differences between weather forecast conditions in reported hat use, sunscreen use, sun avoidance, or sunburn. Results indicate that provision of solar-UV forecasts in weather forecasts did not promote markedly enhanced personal sun-protection practices among the adults surveyed.