Priority 8
Strategy A: Increase opportunities for sun protection in outdoor settings.
Action Steps:
- Increase availability and use of shade structures in outdoor settings, including schools, worksites, and recreational sites.
- Educate decision-makers about evidence-based policies to reduce exposure to UV radiation including use of shade structures and providing SPF 15 or higher sunscreen in both public and private spaces.
- Implement evidence-based school, worksite and community sun safety programs.
- Increase availability and use of shade structures and sunscreen in low-income communities.
Strategy B: Increase awareness about skin cancer prevention and screening.
Action Steps:
- Encourage health care providers to educate patients about skin protective behaviors, including patients with darker complexions to normalize skin protective behaviors.
- Educate health care providers on diagnosing skin cancer in people of color at an early-stage, when the cancer is most treatable.
- Provide tailored skin cancer education for Iowans who work outside.
- Collaborate with state and local parks and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to promote sun-safety.
- Support initiatives that promote diversity in dermatological education such as ensuring skin of color is featured in dermatology textbooks.
- Educate health care providers about risk factors and symptoms of skin cancer in skin of color.
Strategy C: Decrease indoor tanning use.
Action Steps:
- Educate the public and policymakers on evidence-based policies that reduce indoor tanning use, especially among youth.
- Reduce access to indoor tanning for minors under the age of 18.
- Develop a public awareness campaign to highlight the dangers of indoor tanning.
Strategy D: Enhance research support for skin cancer and melanoma.
Action Steps:
- To account for the diverse lived experiences and exposures of various populations, clinical trials must be appropriately inclusive of racial and ethnic minority groups, as well as other populations experiencing health disparities, including sexual and gender minority or socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.
- Continue financial support of melanoma research efforts at the national and state-level.
Resources:
- Skin of Color Society: https://skinofcolorsociety.org/patient-dermatology-education/sun-protection-for-skin-of-color/
- Blogpost: Sun-Safety for Skin of Color https://canceriowa.org/sun-safety-for-skin-of-color/
- https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2774110
- https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common/melanoma/skin-color
- https://uihc.org/services/ethnic-skin-care-clinic
- https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2018/07/05/559883985/will-your-melanin-protect-you-from-the-sun
- https://melanoma.org/
- https://www.cancer.org/healthy/be-safe-in-sun.html
Data Targets:
As of 1/22/2023, UV/Sun-Safety data will be forthcoming and posted as soon as it is available.