Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study

Background: Interventions to promote sun safety in the UK construction sector are warranted given the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure relative to other occupational groups. Aims: To evaluate change in sun safety knowledge and practices among construction workers in respon...

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Main Authors: Houdmont, Jonathan, Madgwick, P., Randall, R.
Format: Article
Published: Oxford Journals 2016
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31576/
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author Houdmont, Jonathan
Madgwick, P.
Randall, R.
author_facet Houdmont, Jonathan
Madgwick, P.
Randall, R.
author_sort Houdmont, Jonathan
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Interventions to promote sun safety in the UK construction sector are warranted given the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure relative to other occupational groups. Aims: To evaluate change in sun safety knowledge and practices among construction workers in response to an educational intervention. Methods: A baseline questionnaire was administered, followed by a bespoke sector-specific DVD-based intervention. At 12-month follow-up participants completed a further questionnaire. Results: Analyses were conducted on a sample of 120 workers (intervention group, n = 70; comparison group, n = 50). At follow-up the proportion of intervention group participants that reported correct sun safety knowledge was not significantly greater than at baseline. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant positive change on nine out of ten behavioural measures, the greatest change being use of a shade/cover when working in the sun followed by regularly checking skin for moles or unusual changes. Conclusions: Exposure to this intervention was linked to some specific positive changes in construction workers’ self-reported sun safety practices. These findings highlight the potential for educational interventions to contribute to tackling skin cancer in the UK construction sector. The findings support the development of bespoke educational interventions for other high-risk outdoor worker groups.
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spelling nottingham-315762020-05-04T17:24:41Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31576/ Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study Houdmont, Jonathan Madgwick, P. Randall, R. Background: Interventions to promote sun safety in the UK construction sector are warranted given the high incidence of skin cancer attributable to sun exposure relative to other occupational groups. Aims: To evaluate change in sun safety knowledge and practices among construction workers in response to an educational intervention. Methods: A baseline questionnaire was administered, followed by a bespoke sector-specific DVD-based intervention. At 12-month follow-up participants completed a further questionnaire. Results: Analyses were conducted on a sample of 120 workers (intervention group, n = 70; comparison group, n = 50). At follow-up the proportion of intervention group participants that reported correct sun safety knowledge was not significantly greater than at baseline. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant positive change on nine out of ten behavioural measures, the greatest change being use of a shade/cover when working in the sun followed by regularly checking skin for moles or unusual changes. Conclusions: Exposure to this intervention was linked to some specific positive changes in construction workers’ self-reported sun safety practices. These findings highlight the potential for educational interventions to contribute to tackling skin cancer in the UK construction sector. The findings support the development of bespoke educational interventions for other high-risk outdoor worker groups. Oxford Journals 2016-01-01 Article PeerReviewed Houdmont, Jonathan, Madgwick, P. and Randall, R. (2016) Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study. Occupational Medicine, 66 (1). pp. 20-26. ISSN 0962-7480 Construction intervention skin cancer solar radiation sun safety transtheoretical model. http://occmed.oxfordjournals.org/content/66/1/20 doi:10.1093/occmed/kqv140 doi:10.1093/occmed/kqv140
spellingShingle Construction
intervention
skin cancer
solar radiation
sun safety
transtheoretical model.
Houdmont, Jonathan
Madgwick, P.
Randall, R.
Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study
title Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study
title_full Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study
title_fullStr Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study
title_full_unstemmed Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study
title_short Sun safety in construction: a UK intervention study
title_sort sun safety in construction: a uk intervention study
topic Construction
intervention
skin cancer
solar radiation
sun safety
transtheoretical model.
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31576/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31576/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/31576/