Assessment of elementary school students' sun protection behaviors.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Studies suggest that excessive sun exposure in childhood contributes to the development of skin cancer later in life. METHODS: This study explores 4th grade student assessment of their sun protection behaviors. This study used baseline data collected in the Fall of 2006 for the Sun Protection for Florida's Children (SPF) project. In brief, the SPF project is a group randomized trial to test the effectiveness of a school based intervention promoting sun protection in general, and hat use in particular, in Hillsborough County Schools, Florida. The data reported in this study were collected at baseline before any intervention activities was initiated. RESULTS: The self-reported use of various methods of sun protection was low. Only a small percentage of students wore long sleeves or a hat with a brim before leaving for school. In addition, few students wore a hat with a wide brim when outside but not at school. Students spent an average of 59.1 minutes per week outdoors while attending school and 35.5 minutes during peak sun exposure. CONCLUSION: Sun exposure at school poses a significant risk to student health and more needs to be carried out to promote the use of a wide-brimmed hat and limiting student sun exposure.

Cost-effectiveness of an intervention to increase cancer screening in primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: The main goal was to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of an intervention designed to increase cancer screening rates in primary care settings serving disadvantaged populations. The Cancer Screening Office Systems intervention reminded clinicians whether screening mammography, Pap smears, and/or fecal occult blood tests were up-to-date in eligible patients and then established a division of office responsibilities to ensure that tests were ordered and completed. METHODS: The cost-effectiveness analysis was predicated on data generated from a cluster-randomized controlled trial of Cancer Screening Office Systems conducted at eight clinics participating in a county-funded health insurance plan in Florida. Cost numerators were computed from estimated time inputs of both clinical personnel and patients valued at nationally representative wages as well as expenses for Cancer Screening Office Systems-related materials and overhead. Effectiveness denominators were constructed from net changes in screening rates observed experimentally over a 12-month follow-up. Two types of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios were computed: the cost per extra screening test by type and the cost per life-year saved without and with Cancer Screening Office Systems. RESULTS: Cancer Screening Office Systems produced statistically significant increases in screening rates, and these gains more than outweighed the costs of the intervention viewed from either payer or societal perspectives. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer Screening Office Systems are a cost-effective means of addressing cancer-related health disparities.