Promoting sun safety and melanoma prevention in the community through a multi-component community-wide intervention.

Abstract

e22613 Background: Although among the most preventable cancers, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. The Community Preventive Service Task Force (CPSTF) recommends multi-component community-wide interventions as an effective strategy to prevent skin cancer. These interventions are particularly effective in addressing the cumulative impact of cancer by including youth – > = 5 blistering sunburns while young is estimated to increase the risk for skin cancer risk by 80%. Between 2018 and 2024, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center delivered a multi-component community-wide intervention for sun safety as a part of its Be Well Communities initiative in Baytown, Texas. Components of this intervention included a community-wide communications campaign, SPF is your BFF, education among early childhood, K-12, and community college students and outdoor workers, school-based policy changes, and infrastructure changes to increase shade. Methods: Our Center with support from a community-based Steering Committee coordinated four organizations implementing evidence-based interventions from The Community Guide to Preventive Services. Implementing organizations reported on process outcomes in quarterly and annual reports and conducted surveys to assess impact outcomes. Results: The county health department implemented interventions with four childcare centers to provide children (n = 250) physical activity in sun safe environments. The local school district, Goose Creek CISD (GCCISD), reached more than 23,000 K-12 students with sun safety education increasing from 1 school in 2018 to all 29 schools in 2024. Eleven schools installed sunshade structures. Furthermore, 92% of campuses reported a positive change in sun safety behaviors after implementing the district-wide sun safety plan. The City of Baytown (n = 70) and GCCISD (n = 107) implemented annual skin cancer prevention trainings and provided sun-protective hats and clothing to outdoor workers. The City of Baytown planted 1,054 shade trees and installed 10 sunshade structures (and 20 non-permanent shades) at parks and pools across the city. All community college, students and staff (n = 7,500) received sun safety education, a campus-wide sun safety campaign; 10 sunshades were also installed. Overall, the percentage of community locations with a sunshade increased from 1% in 2018 to 29% in 2024 and 83% of the community was reached with education and resources for sun safety. Conclusions: Using the Be Well Communities model and following CPSTF recommendations, we have developed a replicable, sustainable, and community-led multicomponent approach to skin cancer prevention. Actions taken and investments through the initiative are likely to help prevent skin cancer in the future within this community; lessons learned can be shared with other communities interested in reducing the risk for skin cancer.