Objective 

To evaluate the effectiveness of an educational campaign aimed toward limiting children's sun exposure.

Design 

Prospective, multicenter trial with before-after comparison.

A school-based campaign was presented as a game during a 4-week period (May 25 to June 1992) with primary school teachers as game hosts.

Children were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire in September before (1991) and after (1992) the campaign.

Comparisons between the children's answers before and after the campaign were made using paired X2 tests and analysis of variance.

Setting 

Five French primary schools.

Subjects 

All children in their fourth year of primary school (228 children aged 9 years).

Main Outcome Measures 

Changes after the campaign in children's answers concerning their knowledge, attitude, and behavior toward the sun during summer holidays.

Results 

Compared with the precampaign answers, more children after the campaign claimed to protect themselves from the sun with a hat (33.7% vs 23.8% ; P=01) or sunscreen (34.8% vs 25.4% ; P=03), avoided going outside during the sunniest hours (76.8% vs 66.0% ; P=02), reapplied sunscreens (22.1% vs 10.6% ; P<. 001), considered that a T-shirt and shade provided better protection than sunscreen (82.7% vs 74.8% ; P=05), considered sunlight as a risk factor for skin cancer (74.9% vs 50.7% ; P<. 001), and spent significantly less time in the sun with their arms (P=005), trunk, legs, and head uncovered (P<. 001). (...)