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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) An erratum has been published All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2005.083907v1 97/3/559    most recent Submit a response View responses Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mayer, J. A. Articles by Oh, S. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mayer, J. A. Articles by Oh, S. S. Related Collections Health Promotion Occupational Health Prevention Cancer

Joni A. Mayer, PhD, Donald J. Slymen, PhD, Elizabeth J. Clapp, MPH, Latrice C. Pichon, MPH, Laura Eckhardt, MPH, Lawrence F. Eichenfield, MD, John P. Elder, PhD, MPH, James F. Sallis, PhD, Martin A. Weinstock, MD, PhD, April Achter, MPH, Cynthia Balderrama, BA, Gabriel R. Galindo, MPH and Sam S. Oh, MPH

Joni A. Mayer and John P. Elder are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, and the Cancer Center, Moores University of California, San Diego. Donald J. Slymen, Elizabeth J. Clapp, Latrice C. Pichon, Laura Eckhardt, April Achter, Cynthia Balderrama, Gabriel R. Galindo, and Sam S. Oh are with the Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego. Lawrence F. Eichenfield is with the Division of Pediatric Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, and the Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego. James F. Sallis is with the Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego. Martin A. Weinstock is with the Dermatoepidemiology Unit, Veterans Administration Medical Center, and the Departments of Dermatology and Community Health, Brown University, Providence, RI.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Joni A. Mayer, PhD, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 9245 Sky Park Ct, Ste 220, San Diego, CA 92123 (e-mail: jmayer{at}mail.sdsu.edu).

Objectives. We examined whether US Postal Service letter carriers who received a sun safety intervention would wear wide-brim hats and sunscreen significantly more often than those who did not receive the intervention.

Methods. We used a 2-group randomized design with 2662 evaluation cohort participants from 70 US postal stations. Evaluations were conducted at baseline, 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Questionnaire items assessed occupational use of sun-screen and wide-brim hats. The 2-year sun safety intervention included the provision of wide-brim hats, accessible sunscreen, reminders, and 6 educational sessions.

Results. At the 3-month follow-up evaluations, the odds ratio (OR) for regular sun-screen use was 2.8 times higher among the intervention group than among the control group (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.2, 3.5); at the 2-year follow-up evaluations, the rate was still significantly higher (OR=2.0; 95% CI=1.6, 2.6). Intervention group participants also had significantly higher rates of hat use, with the differences remaining consistent across all follow-ups (OR=2.9; 95% CI=2.3, 3.6).

Conclusions. The intervention should be disseminated to postal stations nationwide and possibly to other occupational groups that work outdoors.

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