UniQuest Pty Ltd, The University of Queensland’s commercialisation company, and Queensland Health have launched a book aimed at encouraging sun safety in young children.
The book, Dorothy the Dinosaur and her Magic Hat, features well-known children’s characters from The Wiggles, and was originally produced as a research tool to see if reading to young children about sun safety promoted sun smart behaviour.
Written by UQ Cancer Prevention Research Centre PhD student, Ms Liane McDermott, the book was used in a pilot study conducted in 2000 among 230 children aged two to three years.
“Dorothy the Dinosaur proved to be a really great role model and a high percentage of parents used the book to encourage their child to be sun safe,” said Ms McDermott.
“Not only were the parents able to use the Wiggles characters to remind or reinforce their child to wear a hat and sunscreen but the children wanted the book to be read to them.
“I’ve even found that when my own two-year old daughter is refusing to wear a hat I only have to remind her that Dorothy wears a hat and she’ll immediately agree to put one on.”
Following the successful evaluation of the book, UniQuest Pty Ltd., pursued its publication with Queensland Health.
UniQuest Managing Director, David Henderson said his company was delighted to be working with Queensland Health to provide parents with such a valuable sun safety resource.
Young children were at risk of skin cancer because of the amount of time they spent outdoors, and they have very little skin pigment to protect them from the sun, according to Paul Vardon, Acting Director, Health Promotion Unit, Population Health.
“With Queensland having the highest skin cancer rate in the world we need to be innovative in teaching our children from a very young age how to protect their skin,” said Mr Vardon.
“We know from research that parents were concerned about keeping their children safe in the sun.
“‘If Dorothy the Dinosaur said to wear a hat or put on sunscreen, my troubles would be over!’ parents said, and so now Dorothy does, and parents have a valuable tool to support them in teaching their kids sun safety.
‘We all need to take responsibility for looking after our skin, and health, and this book is a creative and fun way of helping our children take that step.”
The book is available for $12.95 including postage from SDS Publications by calling 1800 679 778.
Childhood sun exposure is an important contributing factor to the development of skin cancer, and Queensland Health recommends:
• Helping kids avoid the sun between 10am and 3pm. Play in the shade whenever possible
• Encouraging kids to wear hats – broad brimmed or legionnaire-style to protect the head and neck
• Using SPF 30+ sunscreen, applying at least 20 minutes before going outside
• Covering-up kids with loose lightweight clothing covering arms, legs and neck
• Parents modelling sun safe behaviour.
Media contact: Ms Liane McDermott at The University of Queensland (3365 5163 or 0408 786 754) or Julia Renaud at UniQuest (3365 4037 or 0438 436 179)
