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 Researchers examined data on policies at 577 schools nationwide.
Just 16 percent of schools asked parents to apply sunscreen before
school, and even fewer supplied sunscreen to students or scheduled
outdoor activities to avoid the peak intensity of the sun’s
ultraviolet (UV) rays.
“In spite of both strong evidence that UV exposure can lead to skin
cancer and multiple calls for improvements in school programs
including policies to prevent skin cancer, our study found that most
schools still lacked practices that could protect children and
adolescents from sun exposure while at school,” said lead study
author Sherry Everett Jones of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in Atlanta.
Students most at risk from the sun may get the least help with sun
protection from schools, Jones added by email.
“High schools were less likely to adopt several practices even
though high school students may be at particular risk for sun
exposure because of their desire for a tan,” Jones said.
The researchers examined data from surveys on health policies and
practices that were completed by school representatives in 2014.
Among other things, questions touched on use of sunscreen at home
and in school, scheduling outdoor time, and rules for wearing hats
or sunglasses.
Overall, 48 percent of respondents said teachers allowed time for
students to put on sunscreen at school, researchers report in JAMA
Dermatology.
But just 28 percent said teachers reminded students to apply
sunscreen right before going outside and only 13 percent had
sunscreen on hand for students to use.
Beyond sunscreen, about 30 percent of schools encouraged students to
wear long sleeves or pants outside to limit sun exposure, while 33
percent recommended hats and 21 percent advised students to wear
sunglasses outside.
High schools were less likely to encourage sun protection than
schools serving younger students, the study also found.
Just 4 percent of high schools asked parents to have students apply
sunscreen before school, for example, compared with 17 percent of
middle schools and 21 percent of elementary schools.
Sun safety practices varied by region, the researchers found.
Schools in southern states, for example, were more likely to always
or almost always schedule outdoor activities to avoid times when the
sun was at peak intensity.
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The study wasn’t a randomized experiment designed to prove that
certain school characteristics cause sun safety practices to be more
or less common, the authors note.
Another limitation is the possibility that the individual completing
the survey might not be aware of all school policies or practices
related to sun safety, researchers also point out.
Still, the results suggest that more public education about sun
safety is needed, Dr. Henry Lim of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit,
Michigan writes in an accompanying editorial.
“Importantly, students can apply the sun safety habits they develop
in school to other outdoor activities with their families and
friends, throughout their lives,” said Dr. Mary Tripp of the
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Parents can encourage schools to allow children to carry and apply
sunscreen if current policies prohibit this or don’t make it a
priority, Tripp, who wasn’t involved in the study, added by email.
Parents can also make sure kids have hats, sunglasses and clothing
that covers their arms and legs when they’re going to be outdoors.
“UV rays from the sun can damage unprotected skin, even after a
brief exposure period such as 15 minutes,” Tripp said. “Students may
also receive significant UV exposure during outdoor field trips and
after-school activities.”
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2mO4nCg JAMA Dermatology, online March 3,
2017.
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