Shadow for All, a Citizenship Science Study to Promote the Prevention of Skin Cancer
Shadow for All, a Citizenship Science Study to Promote the Prevention of Skin Cancer
The proposed project is a pilot study about the impact of different health literacy interventions, focused on preventing skin cancer, on the adhesion to protection strategies against ultraviolet (UV) radiation, observed in high school students, that will be implemented on Foz do Lizandro beach in the municipality of Mafra, Portugal. As a science project with citizenship and respecting the ethic principles of equity, inclusion and diversity, the study will involve the contribution and participation of institutional and community partners in diverse stages of the research study: design, field implementation, data collection and dissemination of results, as well as financial investment for the acquisition and installation of interventions on the beach, and recruitment of the target population.
The incidence of skin cancer has increased very fast globally, largely due to poor protective behavior against highly harmful UV solar radiation, particularly among the Caucasian population, who are the most affected by this type of cancer. Scientific literature suggests that adolescents between14 and 17 years old are very susceptible to getting sunburned at least once, which doubles the risk of developing skin cancer in adulthood. It is also known that literacy about skin cancer and its prevention is not high in these younger age groups. These data suggest that the design of public health policies aimed at adolescents, focused on promoting healthy habits of exposure to solar and artificial UV radiation, should be a priority.
Based on this scientific evidence, a quasi-experimental and interventional pilot study is proposed, through which the aim is to motivate adolescents between 14 and 17 years old to adhere to the use of sun protection strategies to be implemented on Foz do Lizandro beach in municipality of Mafra, Portugal.The research question is to understand whether different literacy sessions on skin cancer prevention have a different impact on adhesion to sun protection strategies used by participating adolescents. Considering the enormous potential of the study to become a science project with citizenship, its design was adapted to this increasingly valued modality of research, so that local community entities and national institutions are part of the study as individual and collective partners, participating in the various stages of the investigation, from structuring, implementation in the field, analysis and dissemination of results. Values such as equity, inclusion, diversity and sustainability are inherent to the study. Monitoring of project implementation will be done through the determination of rigorously planned quality indicators.
It is expected that this study will have a positive impact on Mafra community and will be replicated in other geographic regions, leading to significantly higher literacy levels on skin cancer prevention among the youngest citizens.
Inclusion Criteria for adolescents
Exclusion Criteria for adolescents
Inclusion Criteria for universitarian students
Exclusion Criteria for universitarian students
Inclusion Criteria for community pharmacists
Exclusion Criteria for community pharmacists
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