Skin sun-acne tutorial evaluation among middle- and high-school students in central New Jersey - 12/08/11

Doi : 10.1016/j.jaad.2006.11.028

Blair Irwin, MBA ^a, Dana Mauriello, BA ^b, Laura Hemminger, MPH ^c, Amy Pappert, MD ^c, Alexandra B. Kimball, MD, MPH ^d,^⁎
^a From the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
^c School of Public Health, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey
^b Stanford University, Stanford
^d Harvard Medical School, Boston

Reprint requests: Alexandra B. Kimball, MD, MPH, Clinical Unit for Research Trials in Skin (CURTIS), Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals, Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford St, No. 246, Boston, MA 02114.

New Brunswick, New Jersey; Stanford, California; and Boston, Massachusetts

Abstract

Background

Because of the perception that a tan is healthy and attractive, it has been difficult to educate adolescents about sun protection.

Objective

We sought to examine whether the skin sun-acne tutorial, an hour-long, hands-on educational intervention that combined acne education with sun-protection education, increased knowledge of skin care, sun protection, and acne.

Methods

In all, 1214 middle- and high-school students were taught, tested, and surveyed. Outcomes were determined based on comparing performance on a pretest and posttest.

Results

All students, regardless of sex, ethnicity, age, or race, improved significantly from their pretest to posttest scores (P < .001).

Limitations

This study only used one health educator and was restricted to public schools in central New Jersey.

Conclusions

The skin sun-acne tutorial significantly improved knowledge of skin care including knowledge of sun protection and acne among students of different grades, sexes, ages, ethnicities, and races.

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