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Teaching Children About Skin Cancer: The Draw‐and‐Write Technique as an Evaluation Tool
Author(s) -
Pion Ira A.,
Kopf Alfred W.,
Hughes Bronwyn R.,
Wetton Noreen M.,
Collins Margaret,
Newton Bishop Julia A.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
pediatric dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.542
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1525-1470
pISSN - 0736-8046
DOI - 10.1111/j.1525-1470.1997.tb00418.x
Subject(s) - sunburn , skin cancer , medicine , extant taxon , sun exposure , sun protection , cancer , family medicine , dermatology , evolutionary biology , biology
Childhood exposure to sunlight is a risk factor for melanoma. To formulate a meaningful program to educate children about the ill effects of the sun, their extant knowledge base must be determined. We have used the “draw‐and‐write” technique to assess children's perceptions about the sun, suntans, and skin cancer. A total of 693 school children aged 4 to 13 years were asked to draw pictures and label them in response to a series of carefully worded questions. Awareness of the need to apply sunscreen increased from 44% in children aged 4 to 6 years to 95% in children aged 9 to 10 years. Ten percent of children aged 4 to 6 years already perceived a suntan as attractive. While almost all children were aware of the negative immediate effects of sun exposure, namely sunburn, just 30% of American children aged 11 to 13 were aware that sun exposure is a risk for skin cancer. No differences between boys and girls were seen. The “draw‐and‐write” technique allows assessment of the attitudes and perceptions of children regarding the sun and skin cancer. It also provides valuable information on which to base health education and evaluate its cost‐effectiveness.