Testing a Theory-Based Health Communication Program: A Replication of Go Sun Smart in Outdoor Winter Recreation

The epidemic of preventable skin cancer in the United States creates an urgent need for health communication campaigns to improve sun protection. Go Sun Smart (GSS), a theory-driven multichannel health communication campaign showed positive effects on sun safety behaviors of employees and guests in a randomized trial at high-altitude ski areas. In this article we report findings from the North American GSS campaign for guests at ski areas that comprosed the original control-group resorts, replicating the results of the original guest intervention. Results showed that after GSS was deployed, guests at the original control group ski areas increased sun protection and reported greater recall of sun safety messages. Conversely, GSS had no effect on sunburning attitudes or self-efficacy beliefs. Like the original GSS guest intervention, the present study found that greater exposure to GSS messages was associated with greater use of sunscreen, sunscreen lip balm, and face covering, but not gloves or overall sun protection. There was no evidence that GSS decreased sunburning or attitudes and self-efficacy beliefs regarding sun safety.