The Effect of a School-Based Intervention on Sunbed Use in Danish Pupils at Continuation Schools: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: To examine the effect of an educational intervention on sunbed use and intentions and attitudes toward sunbed use in 14- to 18-year-olds at continuation schools. Methods: We randomized 33 continuation schools either to receive the educational intervention (n = 16) or to be controls (n 17). Intervention schools received an e-magazine addressing the health risks of sunbed use. Information on behavior and intentions and attitudes toward sunbed use was gathered through self-administrated questionnaires before the intervention and at 6 months as a follow-up. The effect of the intervention was examined by multilevel linear regression and logistic regression. Results: Sunbed use was significantly lower at follow-up among pupils at intervention schools versus pupils at control schools (girls: odds ratio .60, 95% confidence interval .42-.86; Boys: odds ratio .58, 95% confidence interval .35-.96). The intervention had no effect on intention to use sunbeds or attitudes toward sunbed use. The analyses revealed a significant impact of school on attitudes toward sunbed; the intraclass correlation coefficient was estimated to be 6.0% and 7.8% for girls and boys, respectively. Conclusions: The findings from the present study provide new evidence of a positive effect of an educational intervention on sunbed use among pupils aged 14-18 years at continuation schools. (C) 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.