Sun Protection Habits and Sun Exposure of Physical Education Teachers in the South of Spain.

The high prevalence and increasing incidence of skin cancer (SC) is a significant public health problem. We can address its main risk factor, which is incident and accumulated solar radiation, and its damages by disseminating knowledge and promoting changes in habits and attitudes toward the sun. The influence of teachers in the education of young people is crucial. Physical education teachers (PET) spend the majority of their time outdoors, thereby exposing themselves to solar radiation daily and greatly increasing the risk of SC. We carried out a case-control study matching for age and gender through surveys about photoexposure and photoprotection habits on a sample of 200 teachers (100 PET and 100 non-PET) on South of Spain. The results confirmed that there is a significant difference in sun exposure during the workday; PET group showed higher exposure (P < 0.01). We ascertained that photoprotection habits are deficient across the population. These data contribute to the understanding of the danger associated with poor sun protection among teachers (primary and secondary school teachers) and its mitigation. It is also worth noting that future prevention campaigns will be necessary for the subsequent correct transmission of the habits to students.

Teachers' attitudes and perceptions about preparation of public schools to assist students with type 1 diabetes. / Actitudes y percepción del profesorado de centros educativos públicos sobre la atención a alumnos con diabetes tipo 1.

OBJECTIVE: To assess teachers' attitudes and perceptions about preparation of public primary and secondary education schools in the Puerto Real University Hospital (Cádiz, Spain) area to care for students with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) METHODS: A descriptive observational study where answers to an attitude and perception questionnaire on the preparation of schools to care for pupils with T1DM were analyzed. A total of 765 teachers (mean age, 44.3±8.8 years; 61.7% women) from 44 public schools in the area of the Puerto Real University Hospital were selected by random sampling. RESULTS: Overall, 43.2% of teachers surveyed had or had previously had students with T1DM, but only 0.8% had received specific training on diabetes. 18.9% of teachers reported that one of their students with T1DM had experienced at least one episode of hypoglycemia at school, and half of them felt that their school was not prepared to deal with diabetic emergencies. 6.4% stated that their school had glucagon in its first aid kit, and 46.9% would be willing to administer it personally. Women, physical education teachers, and headmasters had a more positive perception of the school than their colleagues. Teachers with a positive perception of school preparation and with a positive attitude to administer glucagon were significantly younger than those with no positive perception and attitude. CONCLUSIONS: The study results suggest that teachers of public schools in our health area have not been specifically trained in the care of patients with T1DM and perceive that their educational centers are not qualified to address diabetic emergencies.