• David B Buller, Kim D Reynolds, Mary K Buller, Kim Massie, Julia Berteletti, Jeff Ashley, and Richard Meenan.
• Klein Buendel Inc., Colorado, US.
• Aust N Z J Public Health. 2020 Jun 1; 44 (3): 208-214.

ObjectiveSchools are an important setting for skin cancer prevention. An intervention for implementation of school sun safety policy, Sun Safety Schools (SSS), was evaluated.MethodsPrimary schools (n=118) in California school districts that had already adopted a sun safety policy were enrolled in a study with a randomised controlled design. Half of the schools were randomised to SSS intervention (N=58). Parents completed an online post-test.ResultsMore parents in intervention schools received information about sun safety (mean=26.3%, sd=3.1%, p=0.017) and children more frequently wore sun-protective clothing when not at school (mean=2.93, sd=0.03, p=0.033) than in control schools (mean=18.0%, sd=2.5%; mean=2.83, sd=0.03, respectively). In schools where principals reported implementing sun safety practices, parents reported that children spent less time outdoors at midday (mean=14.78 hours, sd=0.25, p=0.033) and fewer were sunburned (mean=12.7%, sd=1.1%, p=0.009) than in non-implementing schools (M=16.3 hours, sd=0.67; mean=21.2%, sd=3.8%, respectively). Parents who received sun safety information (mean=3.08, sd=0.04, p=0.008) reported more child sun protection than parents not receiving information (mean=2.96, sd=0.02).ConclusionsA school district sun protection policy and support for implementation increased dissemination of sun safety information to parents and student sun safety. Implications for public health: Technical assistance for sun safety policies may increase sun protection of children.© 2020 The Authors.

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