Children and exposure to the sun: relationships among attitudes, knowledge, intentions, and behavior

This study examined the relationships among measures of knowledge of skin cancer, attitudes toward sun exposure, intentions to use sunscreen, and self-reported use of sunscreen by 105 fifth-grade children. Positive correlations were obtained between knowledge and intentions to use sunscreen, knowledge and healthier attitudes, and intentions to use sunscreen and healthier attitudes toward sun exposure. Surprisingly, knowledge, attitudes, and intentions were not significantly associated with reported use of sunscreen. Researchers designing interventions to effect behavioral change, i.e., sunscreen use, in children might further explore the predictive utility of these constructs as well as examine the utility of other important variables not measured here.