Adolescents’ use of purpose built shade in secondary schools: cluster randomised controlled trial

摘要

>Objective To examine whether students use or avoid newly shaded areas created by shade sails installed at schools.>Design Cluster randomised controlled trial with secondary schools as the unit of randomisation.>Setting 51 secondary schools with limited available shade, in Australia, assessed over two spring and summer terms.>Participants Students outside at lunch times.>Intervention Purpose built shade sails were installed in winter 2005 at full sun study sites to increase available shade for students in the school grounds.>Main outcome measure Mean number of students using the primary study sites during weekly observations at lunch time.>Results Over the study period the mean change in students using the primary study site from pre-test to post-test was 2.63 (95% confidence interval 0.87 to 4.39) students in intervention schools and −0.03 (−1.16 to 1.09) students in control schools. The difference in mean change between groups was 2.67 (0.65 to 4.68) students (P=0.011).>Conclusions Students used rather than avoided newly shaded areas provided by purpose built shade sails at secondary schools in this trial, suggesting a practical means of reducing adolescents’ exposure to ultraviolet radiation.>Trial registration Exempt.