Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers

Despite education about the risks of excessive sun exposure, teenagers in Australia are sun-seeking, with sunburn common in summer. Conversely, some regular (time-limited) exposure to sunlight (that avoids sunburn) is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones and other molecules important for immune...

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Main Authors: Rebecca Nguyen, Isabelle M. Clare, Nisali Gamage, Gail A. Alvares, Lucinda J. Black, Prue H. Hart, Robyn M. Lucas, Mark Strickland, Mohinder Jaimangal, James White, Shelley Gorman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-03-01
Series:Frontiers in Digital Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2021.626606/full
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spelling doaj-a05ad07c1da4453184dd5f9c8625633c2021-03-23T16:06:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Digital Health2673-253X2021-03-01310.3389/fdgth.2021.626606626606Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchersRebecca Nguyen0Isabelle M. Clare1Nisali Gamage2Gail A. Alvares3Lucinda J. Black4Prue H. Hart5Robyn M. Lucas6Robyn M. Lucas7Mark Strickland8Mohinder Jaimangal9James White10Shelley Gorman11Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaSchool of Public Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaNational Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaCentre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaCancer Council Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaCurve Tomorrow, Perth, WA, AustraliaReach Health Promotion Innovations, Perth, WA, AustraliaTelethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, AustraliaDespite education about the risks of excessive sun exposure, teenagers in Australia are sun-seeking, with sunburn common in summer. Conversely, some regular (time-limited) exposure to sunlight (that avoids sunburn) is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones and other molecules important for immune and metabolic health. New interventions are thus required to better support teenagers to make healthy and balanced decisions about their sun behaviors. This paper describes the development of a prototype online tool—a smartphone app—that aimed to foster safe sun practices in teenagers. We recruited young adolescents (aged 12–13 years, n = 24) as “co-researchers” to provide ongoing input into the nature and design of the online tool. This age group was selected, as it is a critical time when young people transition from primary education, where “SunSmart” behaviors are entrenched in Australian schools, to high school, where risky behaviors emerge. Through a series of interviews and workshops, we codesigned an Apple iOS smartphone app with the co-researchers, leading health promotion professionals, researchers, and app designers. The developed app, Sun Safe, contains educational content relevant to teenagers about safe sun behaviors, complemented by other features requested by co-researchers and stakeholders to help engage young people, including gamified quizzes to test their sun health knowledge, real-time weather data on the UV Index and temperature, a sunscreen application timer, and reminders to check the UV Index. The developed prototype app was rated well by co-researchers, suggesting it is suitable for further feasibility and efficacy testing as an intervention tool to improve knowledge and promote safe sun behaviors by young adolescents.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2021.626606/fullsun exposureskin cancervitamin Donline toolapp developmenthealth promotion
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Rebecca Nguyen
Isabelle M. Clare
Nisali Gamage
Gail A. Alvares
Lucinda J. Black
Prue H. Hart
Robyn M. Lucas
Robyn M. Lucas
Mark Strickland
Mohinder Jaimangal
James White
Shelley Gorman
spellingShingle Rebecca Nguyen
Isabelle M. Clare
Nisali Gamage
Gail A. Alvares
Lucinda J. Black
Prue H. Hart
Robyn M. Lucas
Robyn M. Lucas
Mark Strickland
Mohinder Jaimangal
James White
Shelley Gorman
Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers
Frontiers in Digital Health
sun exposure
skin cancer
vitamin D
online tool
app development
health promotion
author_facet Rebecca Nguyen
Isabelle M. Clare
Nisali Gamage
Gail A. Alvares
Lucinda J. Black
Prue H. Hart
Robyn M. Lucas
Robyn M. Lucas
Mark Strickland
Mohinder Jaimangal
James White
Shelley Gorman
author_sort Rebecca Nguyen
title Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers
title_short Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers
title_full Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers
title_fullStr Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers
title_full_unstemmed Developing an Online Tool to Promote Safe Sun Behaviors With Young Teenagers as Co-researchers
title_sort developing an online tool to promote safe sun behaviors with young teenagers as co-researchers
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Digital Health
issn 2673-253X
publishDate 2021-03-01
description Despite education about the risks of excessive sun exposure, teenagers in Australia are sun-seeking, with sunburn common in summer. Conversely, some regular (time-limited) exposure to sunlight (that avoids sunburn) is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones and other molecules important for immune and metabolic health. New interventions are thus required to better support teenagers to make healthy and balanced decisions about their sun behaviors. This paper describes the development of a prototype online tool—a smartphone app—that aimed to foster safe sun practices in teenagers. We recruited young adolescents (aged 12–13 years, n = 24) as “co-researchers” to provide ongoing input into the nature and design of the online tool. This age group was selected, as it is a critical time when young people transition from primary education, where “SunSmart” behaviors are entrenched in Australian schools, to high school, where risky behaviors emerge. Through a series of interviews and workshops, we codesigned an Apple iOS smartphone app with the co-researchers, leading health promotion professionals, researchers, and app designers. The developed app, Sun Safe, contains educational content relevant to teenagers about safe sun behaviors, complemented by other features requested by co-researchers and stakeholders to help engage young people, including gamified quizzes to test their sun health knowledge, real-time weather data on the UV Index and temperature, a sunscreen application timer, and reminders to check the UV Index. The developed prototype app was rated well by co-researchers, suggesting it is suitable for further feasibility and efficacy testing as an intervention tool to improve knowledge and promote safe sun behaviors by young adolescents.
topic sun exposure
skin cancer
vitamin D
online tool
app development
health promotion
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2021.626606/full
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