Education about protection against solar radiation for teachers teaching young children: a contribution to promote school health

• Main Authors: Gislaine Ricci Leonardi, Thais Mancini Banin, Fulvio Gabriel Corazza, Claudia Fegadolli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: ALIES - Associação Lusófona para o Desenvolvimento da Investigação e do Ensino das Ciências da Saúde 2014-11-01
• Series: Journal Biomedical and Biopharmaceutical Research (BBR)
• Subjects: photoeducation; health; skin; school health; children
• Online Access: http://www.alies.pt/BBR%20Editions/Vol%2011-2-2014/Article5_11n2.pdf

Skin cancer Primary prevention should focus young populations, using the school and teachers as strategic players. This paper describes results from a project aimed to educate kindergarten teachers in the Diadema municipality (metropolitan S Paulo) about photoeducation and sun exposure risks. The intervention was based on an investigation about teachers level of knowledge. Analysis revealed several gaps in knowledge topics - effects of skin tanning; sun exposure damage different than skin cancer; forms of sun protection, other than sunscreens; importance of sunscreen in childhood; types of solar radiation and their effects on human health; facts to be observed in the use of sunscreens. Based on the results of the first step, educational intervention was performed. The last step involved the evaluation of acquired knowledge. The collecting data technique was the Focal Group. Through content analysis, advances in knowledge and the acquisition of concepts were identified. The educational intervention was determinant for teachers knowledge especially regarding UVt radiation types and sun protection factors, but also revealed some pitfalls. In conclusion, short-term actions may be sufficient to transform some concepts but not enough to achieve all goals, especially the transformation of concepts related to cultural aspects, demanding greater daily educational investments.