School pupils in Wales and Canada could potentially benefit from better protection against the sun in the future, thanks to a new transatlantic partnership.
Researcher Dr Julie Peconi, from Swansea University Medical School, is now working with colleagues in Alberta to share knowledge and develop strategies to help improve sun safety in primary schools in both countries.
The collaboration has come about after Dr Peconi was awarded a Global Wales Partnership Grant which she has used to explore collaboration activities with fellow sun safety researchers in her native Canada.
After visiting Alberta herself, she has gone on to host Dr Pamela Mathura, from Alberta Health Services and the University of Alberta-Department of Medicine, for a visit to Swansea where the pair continued to formulate plans for the future.
Dr Peconi is the Chief Investigator of Sunproofed, a mixed methods scoping study of sun safety in primary schools in Wales based the Swansea Trials Unit. It revealed that less than half of schools have a sun safety policy in place for their pupils and there was inconsistency in the presence of a policy across Wales.
Despite skin cancer being one of the most preventable cancers, there is a one in five lifetime risk of developing the disease in the UK and it is known that childhood is a critical time to avoid overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which are the major cause of skin cancer.
She said: “When I was in Edmonton I was able to present the findings of the Sunproofed study to dermatologists and public health professionals as well as brainstorm different ways we could work together. The work we’ve done in Wales really compliments the work going on in Alberta and it’s been great to come together to pool expertise.”
Dr Mathura said: “The trip to Swansea provided the opportunity to engage with a dermatology expert actively involved in sun health initiatives in Wales and a Healthy School Coordinator. Both shared practical approaches implemented in schools, which closely align with the work we have accomplished in Edmonton schools. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity to explore the potential of combining efforts to achieve impactful outcomes in the future.”
The partnership sees the researchers sharing experience, data collection tools and methods to improve the landscape for sun safety in primary schools in both countries.
Going forward, the team plans to further develop educational materials for classrooms to improve children’s knowledge and understanding of sun safety and then study the effectiveness and impact these educational materials have on students’ sun safety behaviours.
Dr Peconi added that despite strong clinical evidence supporting the benefits of sun safety behaviours from a young age, education is still needed particularly with respect to the UV index and when sun protection should be used.
She said: “Developing sun-safety habits and knowledge during elementary school is crucial and school-based programmes are recommended by the World Health Organisation as the key to prevention.
“I wanted to work with the team in Alberta as research there has led to the development and trial of interventions which demonstrated improved sun safety preparedness among school-aged children.
“By bringing together our diverse expertise and knowledge of sun safety in elementary schools, I hope we will be able to take a multidisciplinary approach to this complex problem. Our goal is that this collaborative effort will provide more insight and reach a larger population, influencing policy and sun safety practice in elementary schools in both countries.”
