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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2021-03-01
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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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