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Cancer center develops youth sun-safety program at municipal pool

A community cancer center adapted and implemented a sustainable sun-safety education program at a municipal swimming pool in rural Idaho for more than 700 youths, according to a CDC report.

St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) selected, adapted and implemented Pool Cool, an evidence-based program, to partner with Payette Municipal Pool in rural Idaho for skin cancer prevention in youths aged 2 to 17 years. The state had greater melanoma incidence (23.1 per 100,000 people vs. 19 per 100,000) than US rates between 2006 and 2010, and Idaho’s annual melanoma mortality rate (3.2 per 100,000 vs. 2.7 per 100,000) exceeded the national rate in 2009, the report said.

There was a five-phase, ongoing implementation of the program between February and August 2012. In phase 1, a community partner was identified and recruited; in phase 2, the program, Pool Cool, was selected after research. The program, including desired outcomes and adaptation of existing printed materials, educational signage and development of pool staff training, was conducted in phase 3.

In phase 4, the program was implemented in conjunction with the opening of the pool for the summer of 2012. In phase 5, program sustainability was assessed, with the intention to expand the Pool Cool program to additional areas throughout the MSTI service area.

“Sun-safety education was provided to more than 700 young people … and educational signage and sunscreen benefited hundreds of additional pool patrons,” the researchers reported.

“Community cancer centers are increasingly being asked to assess community needs and screening programs. Clinical staff may become facilitators of evidence-based public health programs. Challenges of implementing evidence-based programs in the context of community cancer centers are staffing, leveraging of resources, and ongoing training and support.”

Disclosure: Relevant financial disclosures were not provided by researchers.