NUR121 health, Culture and Society

Over the years Australia has been identified to be among the nations with the highest number of skin cancer rates across the globe. Studies have identified that two out of three Australians develop skin cancer problems before they reach 70 years (Winslade, Wright, Dudley, Cotton, Brown, 2017 p 484). As a result of this, the country has identified this to be a key public health issue and there is the need for formulation of effective programs that can help in early detection of skin cancer among individuals with relevant prevention programs. Through this, the country has in place the Sunsmart program, which is channelled to reduce skin cancer incidents as well as the morbidity and mortality rates resulting from the program.

Winslade M, Wright B, Dudley D, Cotton W, Brown A. 2017. Australian primary school communities’ understandings of SunSmart: a qualitative study. Aust N Z J Public Health.;41(5):483‐489. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12677

Skin cancer has been identified as one of the cancers that can be prevented through the use of well-enhanced programs. As a result of this, the Sunsmart program in Australia is channelled to help in reducing morbidity and mortality among the country’s population as a result of this disease (Wright, Winslade, Dudley, Cotton, Hamer 2019 12). The program has the advantage of close participation from the general public who are significantly affected by this health program. Consequently, it has been considered as quite effective in managing this problem.

The Sunsmart program in Australia uses a codified message in the form of “Slip! Slop! Slap! Seek! Slide!,” which is primarily put in place to promote the use of sunglasses and seeking of shade among the Australian population (Winslade, Wright, Dudley, Cotton, Brown, 2019 43). These are also put in place to change the society’s attitude in regards to skin cancer and reduce individuals’ exposure to this health problem. Similarly, the program has been was put in place to promote behavioural change among individuals through the use of sunscreen, hat, and remaining indoors from 11 am to 3 pm during summer. Individual teachers and instructors are also expected to act as a role model for individual learners and promote positive behaviours among individual learners.

The program is effected among several numbers of institutions within the society such as sporting organizations, schools and workplaces, which gives it a community-based approach. Learning institutions are required to educate learners on the best sun protection behavior and ways they can protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation exposure. The program also has an environmental-based approach considering the funding of shade sails through the Sunsmart grant scheme (Winslade et al., 2019 43). The program provides funding to communities, schools and sporting organizations for the sole purpose of building shades that members of the community can utilize in shielding themselves from the sun. Schools are required to have in place enough outdoor shades for the students. Constant audits are always carried out to ensure this requirement is met by al learning institutions. There are also several policies applied at different learning institutions including the kindergarten. One of these policies is the “No Hat No Play” policy (Wright et al., 2019 12). This policy requires individual learners to wear hats that protect their face, ears and neck. The program also requires organizations to formulate and implement different sun-protecting policies within the community. All these approaches are designed to protect the Australian population from skin cancer and ensure the safety and the general well being of the society.

Winslade M, Wright B, Dudley D, Cotton W, Brown A. Australian primary school communities’ understandings of SunSmart: a qualitative study. Aust N Z J Public Health. 2017;41(5):483‐489. doi:10.1111/1753-6405.12677

Wright B, Winslade M, Dudley D, Cotton W, Hamer A. Protect your skin and let the fun begin: The results of an intervention to improve NSW primary schools’ implementation of the SunSmart Program. Health Promot J Austr. 2019;30(2):267‐271. doi:10.1002/hpja.27

There are different principles that govern the effectiveness and efficiency of primary healthcare programs. These include comprehensive coverage of the different elements involved in the health program, equity, community participation and collaboration of different sectors. The constant interaction of different elements of effective policy results in the realization of these principles.

The Sunsmart program has considered different environments of operations like the economic environment, social environment and political environment, which is essential in the realization of effective and positive changes In the society. Similarly, the different solutions in this program are home-based, which is quite effective in ensuring the community fully participate in the program to ensure the realization of the desired results (Shih, Carter, Sinclair, Mihalopoulos, Vos 2009 p 15). The slip slop slap slogan has positively resonated among the Australians given its close association with the Australian culture of organization and effectiveness. Additionally, the program has access to adequate and consistent resources considering that it harmonizes the social, economic, and political environment and binds all stakeholders to channel their efforts to realize one goal of eradicating skin cancer in Australia. Through this, the program creates a shared belief among stakeholders which is always essential in intersectoral collaboration. As a result of this, several stakeholders collaborate in implementing different strategies that are aimed at reducing the prevalence of skin cancer among the Australian population and measuring the effectiveness of these strategies as well as formulating mitigation strategies that can be used in improving the effectiveness of these strategies.

The program has also clearly stated the congruency of the objectives of funding and how organizations are to participate in the execution of different elements. The clarity of the program can also be seen in the vision and planning efforts of the program. It is primarily structured to reduce morbidity and mortality cases among Australians. Clarity is always essential in effective execution of different aspects of a program (Shih et al., 2009 p 15). Different aspects of the program also appreciate the opportunities brought by changes in the society like technological inventions and innovations, which are crucial in ensuring compatibility of different aspects of the program to systems and procedures resulting from these changes (Hunkin, Pollock, Scupham 2020 p 17). Through all these, the Sunsmart program effectively acknowledges the different principles in public health. The shade funding program also ensures equity to all members of the community since the shades are to be used by all members of the community without segregation of individuals based on ethnicity, age, race and gender.

Shih ST, Carter R, Sinclair C, Mihalopoulos C, Vos T. 2009. Economic evaluation of skin cancer prevention in Australia. Prev Med.;49(5):449‐453. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.09.008

Hunkin H, Pollock K, Scupham R. 2020. The National SunSmart Schools Program: Impact on sun protection policies and practices in Australian primary schools. Health Promot J Austr.;31(2):251‐257. doi:10.1002/hpja.291

There are different promotional strategies used in this program. These include building an effective public health policy, creating a supportive environment, strengthen community action and developing personal skills. The interaction of these promotional strategies is quite effective in the realization of the intended goal of pub safety and general well being of the society.

Effective public health policy involves consideration of different factors like culture and the impact a specific health problem has on to the population. An effective program should take into account the different elements involved in the health problem the community is facing before constructing equitable actions arraigned to address these issues in a comprehensive manner (Dobbinson, Wakefield and  Jamsen, 2008 p 96). The Sunsmart program has considered the Australian culture of the organization and effective collaboration of different sectors in constructing a comprehensive and equitable solution framework to the problem of skin cancer that the society is facing.

The program is also anchored towards creating a supportive environment. Through this, it has harmonized the different environments such as the political, social and economic environments by creating a shared belief of the need to eradicate skin cancer in the country.  Through this, the program also promotes intersectoral collaboration to realize the different aspects involved. Creation of a supportive environment is always essential in enlisting participation from different stakeholders; hence helps in realizing the intended goal. The collaboration of stakeholders also has a significant impact on the realization of the goals and objectives of this program (Makin, Warne, Dobbinson, Wakefield, Hill, 2013 p 11). Through this, the program avoids conflicts that may arise from different sectors and stakeholders, which is essential in the proper and efficient allocation of the available scarce resources to create value for the community. Similarly, strengthening community action is also essential in promoting a positive response from the community and encouraging effective community participation. The behavioural and attitudinal change demanded by the program from the community is primarily channelled to ensure the safety and the general well being of the society. The program also aims at developing personal skills among individuals that they can use in protecting themselves from the ultraviolet rays. This also ensures the participation of individuals regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity and race. Consequently, the Australian healthcare system realizes equitable healthcare provision (Dobbinson et al., 2008 p 97). The different elements involved in this program are primarily directed to enlist collaboration from different stakeholder, ensure community participation and help individuals develop personal skills that can be used in reducing skin cancer cases in the country.

Dobbinson SJ, Wakefield MA, and  Jamsen KM, 2008 Weekend sun protection and sunburn in Australia trends (1987-2002) and association with SunSmart television advertising. Am J Prev Med.;34(2):94‐101. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2007.09.024

Makin JK, Warne CD, Dobbinson SJ, Wakefield MA, Hill DJ 2013. Population and age-group trends in weekend sun protection and sunburn over two decades of the SunSmart programme in Melbourne, Australia. Br J Dermatol.;168(1):154‐161. doi:10.1111/bjd.12082

The Sunsmart program is a public health program that has carefully observed the different principles involved in primary healthcare. It has resulted in the adoption of hat-wearing and sun-protective behaviours among the country’s population. These have been also adopted by young children, which is crucial for ensuring a future population that is free from skin cancer, thereby helping the country divert its resources to other sectors that can be in much need of these few resources. Through this, the Sunsmart program has also significantly helped in reducing skin cancer cases among the Australian population.

However, studies reveal that sun-protective behaviours rapidly improved in the country between 1987 to 2007 and has been declining ever since (Tabbakh, Volkov, Wakefield,  Dobbinson 2019 p 15).   Through this, there is a need to improve policies at the school level. This can be achieved through the use of incentives that can ensure improved use of hats among learners and sun-protective behaviours. Similarly, there is the need to improve workplace policies in regards to hat-wearing and sun-protective behaviours (Tabbakh et al., 2019 p 15). This can be achieved by instituting hat-wearing as one of the workplace safety measures that individual organizations should put in place.

Tabbakh T, Volkov A, Wakefield M, Dobbinson S. Implementation of the SunSmart program and population sun protection behaviour in Melbourne, Australia: Results from cross-sectional summer surveys from 1987 to 2017. PLoS Med. 2019;16(10):e1002932. Published 2019 Oct 8. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002932