August 2011

 

Welcome to the latest newsletter from HSC's SunSmart team. It might be winter but with daylight saving starting early this year (25 September), it will soon be time to slip, slop, slap and wrap.

 

New Zealand Skin Cancer Control Strategic Framework - update

As advised in our October 2010 issue, the New Zealand Skin Cancer Control Steering Committee met on 31 August 2010 in Wellington to develop the 2011-2014 Strategic Framework. The Framework was completed in February 2011 and the document is now available on the SunSmart website.

The Framework identifies five intervention pathways for reducing the incidence and impact of skin cancer in New Zealand:

• prevention
• early detection
• diagnosis and treatment
• rehabilitation, support and palliative care, and
• research, evaluation and surveillance.

Based on the Framework’s direction, HSC sun safety work for 2011-12 will keep its focus on primary prevention and include a new key target audience of adolescents aged 13-17 years. Other priority areas for HSC include working more closely with local councils, the primary health care sector, and recreational sector to increase sun safety practices and policies in these settings. We will also continue to support other organisations eg. Cancer Society, Melanoma Foundation with their work.  For more information contact laurianne@hsc.org.nz

Primary health care research outcomes

In April 2011, we conducted focus groups with health promoters, GPs, practice nurses and consumers in the Auckland region. The primary purpose of the focus groups was to identify opportunities for health practitioners to actively offer primary prevention advice to consumers on sun safety. UMR Research was contracted to undertake the focus groups.

Findings from the focus groups showed that primary health care workers and consumers rated sun safety as a low priority and there is a low level of understanding around the burden of skin cancer. Teenagers were identified, by the focus groups, as the group most at risk of excessive exposure to UV radiation. The focus group participants suggested that HSC should target adolescents with sun safety messages, in order to improve sun safety practices amongst youth.

Identified barriers to promoting sun safety within the primary health care setting were:

• Lack of funding and time, and other competing health priorities
• Cultural factors including language and confusion about whether dark-skinned people faced the same risk as fair-skinned
• Lack of clarity about vitamin D advice
• The consumers own lack of motivation and concern about what might happen in the future.

The research clearly identified that there is a lack of knowledge around the burden of melanoma (numbers and rates) amongst focus group participants - they were quite surprised to learn that melanoma is the 4th most common cancer in New Zealand.

The focus groups have provided the HSC with several ideas on how to promote sun safety messages within the primary health care setting. The HSC has shared the research findings with key partners and will be jointly developing a plan to promote sun safety messages through the primary health care setting. If you want to receive a summary report of the research, or want further information on the research, contact bhama@hsc.org.nz

Seasonal advice on sun exposure

At a recent joint agency meeting convened by the Cancer Society, Ministry of Health and ACC, it was agreed that there was a need to develop a vitamin D policy, that reflects the current evidence base, to sit alongside consistent sun protection advice. The policy will be completed later this year.

Seasonal sun protection advice

• Between September and April, use sun protection (shade, cover-up clothing and hats,sunscreen, sunglasses), especially between 10am and 4pm. A 30 minute daily walk or some other form of outdoor physical activity in the early morning or late afternoon without sun protection is also recommended.
• Between May and August, some sun exposure is important. A 30 minute daily walk or some other form of outdoor physical activity in the hours around noon is recommended with face, arms and hands exposed.
• People with a history of skin cancer, sun damage, or who are taking medicines that affect photosensitivity should use sun protection (shade, cover-up, sunscreen, sunglasses) all year round.
• Sun protection should be used throughout the year when at high altitudes or near highly reflective surfaces, such as snow or water.

For more information on the policy and advice contact laurianne@hsc.org.nz

What the Sun Safety Team is up to

Introducing Bhama Rajiv - Senior Project Manager

Bhama joined the HSC in November 2010 to drive specific projects for the SunSmart team. Her areas of focus will be territorial local authorities; primary health care sector; SunSmart website and newsletter. Contact: bhama@hsc.org.nz

New youth campaign

The Skin Cancer Strategic Framework identified adolescents (13 – 17 years of age) as a population at high risk of sunburn (from excessive UV exposure or use of sunbeds) and the need for a focused campaign to improve the sun safety behaviour for this age group.

The HSC is leading the development of this campaign, which will be launched during the 2011/12 year summer period. The aim of the campaign is to influence adolescents to adopt sun safe behaviours, change the tanning and sun exposure behaviours of youth, and change youth attitudes and beliefs that tanned skin is desirable, healthy and normal.

We are currently user-testing some concepts and will provide  more details about the campaign in our next newsletter.  For more information contact wayde@hsc.org.nz

Encouraging Scouts to be SunSmart

HSC has been working with SCOUTS New Zealand to develop a sun safety education programme. This includes a new “Be SunSmart” badge, and draws on material from the Cancer Society’s SunSmart Accredited Schools programme. It aims to raise awareness of sun safety and provide education about how to be smart in the sun.

SCOUTS New Zealand recognises the importance of being SunSmart and keenly took up the opportunity to encourage their membership to safely enjoy all those fun (and challenging) outdoor activities.

The new ‘Be SunSmart’ badges are being rolled out to Kea, Cub, Scout and Venturer groups throughout New Zealand from late August 2011. For more information contact wayde@hsc.org.nz

Never Let Your Child Get Sunburnt (NLYCGS) - new poster and brochure

We are currently developing a new poster and brochure to replace the existing ones (with the ‘boy’ image). The new poster and brochure will be available once the existing stocks of the ‘boy’ poster and brochure have been exhausted. 

HSC SunSmart Merchandise

We have made some changes to the SunSmart merchandise section. We have new SunSmart hats but we no longer stock pencils, pens or rulers.  Have a look at our resource and merchandise section for more information.

If you want more information on SunSmart resources & merchandise contact wayde@hsc.org.nz

Have you visited the SunSmart website lately?

We have made a few changes to the site. In the next few months, we will be working to further improve the layout and navigation of the site. If you have any suggestion email bhama@hsc.org.nz