Hats on Head Start: A A Survey of Sun Protection Behaviors in Head Start and Other Early Childhood Education Programs

The proposed study will assess the current sun safety policies and practices in programs for young children and to determine the willingness of stakeholders to incorporate more protective measures. The primary hypothesis is that children in Head Start programs, daycare programs, elementary schools, or summer camps are exposed to significant UV radiation throughout the day, and are not adequately protected with sunscreen, hats, or sun-protective clothing. The secondary hypothesis is that these programs value sun safety as an important health behavior, but probably do not have the funding avilable to make it a priority.