Implementation

Appearance-Focused Intervention

  • Personnel to order, distribute, and refill the booklet Beauty Tips for Life: Keep the skin you were born in!
  • Evaluation of the study indicates that the intervention can be implemented in a high quality way while requiring minimal input needs to start up a program. In order to implement the intervention there needs to be personnel designated to distribute the booklet and re-fill as needed in the various institutes where distribution takes place. It is also recommended that the booklet sites specific personnel or organizations who are available to meet with individuals for follow up discussion if desired. This may require training individuals on specific tanning risk counseling if the organization performing the intervention does not already have someone equipped to do so.
  • Purchasing information for the Beauty Tips for Life: Keep the skin you were born in! booklet can be found by clicking here along with additional information on implementing a research tested intervention program sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.

booklet

 

Parent-Focused Intervention

The steps to implement this program are as follows:

  •  Step 1: Program Implementer gives a copy of the Skin Cancer Prevention: Useful information for Parents from the Fields of Behavioral Science and Dermatology handbook to parents at the beginning of the summer.
  • Step 2: Program Implementer asks parents to read all materials within 2 weeks of receipt and implement intervention with their children within 30 days of receipt.
  • Implementation of this product would be easy if access to parents was available.
  • The handbook was approximately 25 pages in length. Each section was written in clear, simple language.
  • View PDF of Intervention Handbook here: TanningIntervention.

 

Community-Wide Intervention

The following steps are used to implement this program:

Step 1: Adult Change Agents (teachers, school staff, sports coach, recreation staff, lifeguards, parents, primary care physicians) and Teen Peer Role-Models are trained by SunSafe program staff or proper program implementation using the program manuals.

Step 2: Each adult change agents begins direct education of teens. Activities may include:

  • Placing SunSafe posters in frequent site areas
  • Using the Ask, Advise, and Assist steps to address sun protection behaviors:
    1. Ask
      • How do you protect yourself from the sun?
    2. Advise
      • Recommend ways to implement or improve good sun protection behaviors,  always remembering to praise/reward responsible actions
    3. Assist
      • Encourage use of sun protection, and provide information as needed or requested.
  • Creating a group sun safe policy modeled by Adult Change Agents and reinforced by praise/rewards, including the following practices:
    • Integrating sun protection activities into regular school activities
    • Conduction school-based peer group activities
    • Offering opportunities to view sun damage using a DermaScanTM or DermaView machine