Authored By:
Nioi et alThis report, published by the United Kingdom (UK) Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, examines how health messaging to construction workers can influence their sun protection behaviour and manage their vitamin D levels. Low levels of ultraviolet (UV) are required for the body to synthesis vitamin D. The study split 94 construction workers into an intervention group and a control group for the study periods (one summer and two winter cycles). The intervention group which was provided with sun protection advice in the summer period and advice on Vitamin D supplementation vitamin D during winter. This information was delivered to the participants using text messages and a mobile phone app. The outcome of the interventions was assessed by measuring UV exposure from a wearable UV sensors and for vitamin D assays were conducted from blood samples. The authors reported that the UV exposure of the intervention group was higher than the control group, indicating the sun protection communication was not successful. The intervention was more successful for vitamin D communication indicated by the much higher percentage of participants in the intervention group with sufficient vitamin D than the control group in both of the winter study periods. The authors concluded that while the study demonstrated that text messaging and mobile phone apps were an effective way of delivering messages, they were not successful at promoting sun protection behaviours. It was recommended that a more regimented risk-based approach be explored to reduce the risk of skin cancer among outdoor construction workers.
Published In:
Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, 2019The authors tested the effectiveness of text messaging and mobile phone apps as a way of communicating the risk of UV exposure to outdoor workers. However, it was found that this strategy had a low impact in promoting sun protection behaviour. It was concluded that changes to this approach are required to prove its potential effectiveness. The results of this research are particularly important in Australia, considering our high solar UV environment. Reports by Safe Work Australia found that agriculture and construction workers are amongst the highest UV exposed groups in Australia (Safe Work Australia, 2016). Australia also has one of the highest rates of skin cancer. Two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70 and more than 2000 Australians die from skin cancer each year (Cancer Council Australia, 2019). Occupational exposure can significantly contribute to these rates with a meta-analysis by Schmitt et al 2011 finding that people who were occupationally exposed to UV had an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma.
To protect workers from the consequences of high UV exposure, each Australian State or Territory has an occupational health and safety act that sets requirements for the protection of outdoor workers from solar UV. There is also sun protection controls that the Cancer Council Australia promote for workers that include the slip, slop, slap, and slide measures. Despite Australia’s high solar UV one in four Australians are estimated to be vitamin D deficient (Cancer Council Australia). The Cancer Council and the Endocrine Society of Australia recommend that people who may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency discuss their vitamin D requirements with their medical practitioner rather than seeking sun exposure.
