A one-week sun awareness curriculum was developed at the University of Western Ontario to educate first-year medical students on skin cancer risks and prevention.
Objective:
To assess the retention of knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral practices one year after receiving education in sun awareness.
Method:
Three surveys were administered: before, immediately after the sun awareness teaching, and one year later. Actual practiced behavior in the past year was compared with the intended behavior.
Results:
Half as many sunburns were reported in the year following the sun awareness curriculum compared with the previous year. Medical students demonstrated a good retention of the knowledge learned a year earlier. However, many students still believed that a tanned appearance looks healthy. While there was intent to adopt more healthy behavior after the curriculum, the actual behavior practiced varied.
Conclusions:
An undergraduate medical curriculum on sun awareness can be effective in improving the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of future physicians.
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