| Summary: | Introduction and Background
Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in white populations throughout the world, yet, by taking adequate sun protection measures it can be prevented. This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of educational interventions on reducing sunburns and improving sun protection knowledge and behaviours in individuals of all ages.
Methodology
Using the electronic databases, Ovid-Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials (CENTRAL), a comprehensive literature search was carried out. 19 Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) of educational interventions to reduce sunburns and/or improve participants’ sun protection knowledge and/or behaviours in none “high risk” groups were identified and analysed. Methodological quality of each study was appraised using the CASP tool for RCTs and results were reported narratively. Due to the heterogeneity displayed across the majority of studies, meta-analysis was only performed on two studies investigating the primary outcome of this review.
Results and Conclusions
Educational interventions can improve sun protection knowledge, overall behaviour and use of sunscreen on an individual behaviour basis in participants of all ages in both the long and short term. There was insufficient evidence to suggest use of shade, hats, tee shirts, sunglasses or avoidance of midday sun improved following an intervention. All individual behaviours with the exception of sunscreen tended to decrease with time. There was inadequate evidence to suggest that educational interventions can reduce sunburns and no evidence to suggest which type of educational interventions or study settings were most effective. The benefits of educational interventions to improving sun protection knowledge and behaviour are apparent. Nurses can utilise the information provided in this review to examine interventions successfully able to reduce sunburns and improve sun protection knowledge and behaviours, adapting these interventions to their own practice. Not only could this help to reduce the incidence of skin cancer but as a consequence the psychological and physical burden of skin cancer can be reduced, healthcare costs will decrease and lives will be saved.
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