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Health education about sun and skin cancer: language, ideas and perceptions of young children
Author(s) -
HUGHES B.R.,
WKTTON N.,
COLLINS M.,
BISHOP J.A. NEWTON
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1996.tb06960.x
Subject(s) - skin cancer , perception , health promotion , health education , sun protection , childhood cancer , promotion (chess) , medicine , psychology , sun exposure , knowledge level , developmental psychology , cancer , public health , environmental health , dermatology , nursing , mathematics education , neuroscience , politics , political science , law
Summary Excessive sunlight in early childhood is thought to be a risk factor for skin cancer. We report the use of the ‘draw and write’ technique for determining changing perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of young children (aged 4–12 years) to the sun and skin cancer. Children were asked to draw pictures and label them in response to a series of carefully worded invitations and questions. The captions were then analysed to assess changing views and perceptions about particular issues in relation to behaviour in (he sun. Four hundred and sixty children completed the exercise. An increasing spiral of knowledge with age about effects of the sun and appropriate behaviour was demonstrated. The study revealed a relatively high level of knowledge. Misconceptions and stereotypes were demonstrated. This technique is a simple and effective way of eliciting information from children about health issues. It provides baseline data for producing material for health education for children in relation to sun and skin. It is also a method of assessing the effectiveness in young children of health promotion initiatives.