Sustainability of the Go Sun Smart Program in a Recreation Industry

描述（由申请人提供）：由于职业暴露于阳光中的紫外线辐射，户外工作者患皮肤癌的风险增加。我们的研究团队已经开发了Go Sun Smart (GSS)，这是一个户外工作者的职业防晒计划，并证明了它的有效性。我们还评估了将GSS推广到整个北美滑雪产业的成功的基于理论的策略。这项拟议的研究旨在检查GSS传播的可持续性，并对工作场所防晒计划的发展、有效性、传播和可持续性进行全面的十年检查，提供最终评估。健康干预规划的可持续性对于实现长期健康行为改变至关重要；然而，只有有限的研究存在的证据为基础的预防方案的可持续性。通过观察参与GSS II传播试验的滑雪场继续使用GSS来评估GSS的可持续性。可持续性评估的具体目标是：1)评估参与GSS II传播试验的工作场所对GSS的持续使用；2)检查GSS的持续使用是否受到传播策略（基本vs强化）的影响；3)探索GSS职业防晒原则的持续理论保真度；4)确定如果持续使用GSS，是否会影响员工的防晒。我们预计，参与GSS II推广试验的68个滑雪场中，将有61个同意参与这个为期两年的GSS可持续性项目。训练有素的研究人员将返回每个滑雪场，观察GSS和非GSS信息的使用情况，以及旨在提高职业阳光安全的行动。我们将使用现场观察、GSS II传播试验中对管理人员调查的修改版本，以及对高级管理人员进行半结构化访谈的新试点测试协议，以衡量GSS的持续使用、职业防晒原则的理论保真度，以及GSS和防晒融入滑雪场组织文化的情况。将使用GSS II传播试验中缩短版的员工调查对员工进行拦截调查，以评估GSS对员工阳光安全的持续影响（即，接触阳光安全信息，减少晒伤发生率，增加防晒措施的频率）。拟议的项目是重要的和创新的，因为它将a)有助于填补在一般预防项目的可持续性理解上的空白，特别是职业防晒；B)探讨用于传播项目的策略是否会影响其可持续性；C)识别影响项目可持续性的组织特征；d)确定工作场所是否实施了促进职业防晒原则的变化，即使他们不使用GSS；e)测试GSS是否持续改善员工的阳光安全。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Outdoor workers are at increased risk for skin cancer because of occupational exposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. Our research team has developed Go Sun Smart (GSS), an occupational sun protection program for outdoor workers, and demonstrated its effectiveness. We also evaluated successful theory-based strategies for disseminating GSS to the entire North American ski industry. The proposed study is designed to examine the sustainability of GSS dissemination and provide a final assessment in a comprehensive decade-long examination of the development, effectiveness, dissemination, and sustainability of a workplace sun protection program. Sustainability of health intervention programs is essential to achieve long-term health behavior change; however, only limited research exists on the sustainability of evidence-based prevention programs. Sustainability of GSS will be assessed by observing continued use of GSS at the ski areas that participated in the GSS II dissemination trial. Specific aims of the sustainability assessment are to 1) evaluate the continued use of GSS by the workplaces enrolled in the GSS II dissemination trial; 2) examine whether continued use of GSS was affect by dissemination strategy (Basic v. Enhanced); 3) explore continued theoretical fidelity of the occupational sun protection principles in GSS; and 4) determine whether sustained use of GSS, if present, influences employees' sun protection. We expect that 61 of the original 68 ski areas in the GSS II dissemination trial will agree to participate in this 2-year project on GSS sustainability. Trained research staff will return to each ski area and observe use of GSS and non-GSS messages and actions intended to improve occupational sun safety. We will use the on-site observations, a modified version of the survey of managers from the GSS II dissemination trial, and a new pilot-tested protocol for performing semi-structured interviews with senior managers to measure continued use of GSS, theoretical fidelity of occupational sun protection principles, and the integration of GSS and sun protection into organizational culture at the ski areas. Intercept surveys with employees using a shortened version of the employee survey from the GSS II dissemination trial will be conducted to assess continued influence of GSS on employees' sun safety (i.e., exposure to sun safety messages, reduced prevalence of sunburn, and increased frequency of sun protection practices). The proposed project is significant and innovative because it will a) help to fill a gap in the understanding of the sustainability of prevention programs in general and occupational sun protection in particular; b) explore whether strategies used to disseminate a program affects its sustainability; c) identify organizational characteristics that affect program sustainability; d) determine whether workplaces implement changes that promote occupational sun protection principles even if they do not utilize GSS; and e) test whether GSS continues to improve sun safety by employees. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Outdoor workers are at increased risk for skin cancer and our team developed an effective occupational sun protection program, Go Sun Smart. In a previous study, strategies for disseminating this program to the entire North American ski industry were evaluated and researchers will return to the workplaces participating in that study and perform a final assessment of whether they continue to use Go Sun Smart. Sustainability of prevention programs is a major concern for public health because sustained intervention is essential to achieve long-term improvements in health.