Table 1. Self-reported Measures.
| Variable | No. (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Head Start and Early Head Start (n = 102) |
Day Care (n = 100) |
|
| Comparison of health behaviors | ||
| Ranked the importance of health behavior as somewhat important or very important | ||
| General health behaviorsa | 95.9 (94.0) | 96.6 (96.6) |
| Sun-protective behaviors, excluding sunscreen useb | 78.7 (77.1) | 76.7 (76.7) |
| Sunscreen use | 96 (94.1) | 96 (96.0) |
| Ranked a health habit as 1 of the 3 most important in comparison with other health behaviors | ||
| Good nutrition | 66 (64.7) | 71 (71.0) |
| Adequate exercise | 41 (40.2) | 55 (55.0) |
| Brushing teeth | 35 (34.3) | 38 (38.0) |
| Wearing seat belts in the car | 19 (18.6) | 17 (17.0) |
| Sun protection | 5 (4.9) | 4 (4.0) |
| Sun exposure | ||
| Time outdoors between 10 am and 4 pm, min | ||
| 0-30 | 37 (36.3) | 25 (25.0) |
| 31-45 | 20 (19.6) | 12 (12.0) |
| 46-59 | 18 (17.6) | 23 (23.0) |
| ≥60 | 27 (26.5) | 40 (40.0) |
| Sun protection | ||
| Seek shade | ||
| Built environment has shade | 99 (97.1) | 99 (99.0) |
| Scheduling outdoor activities | ||
| Outdoor activities almost always or always scheduled to avoid times when sun was peak intensityc | 46 (45.1) | 71 (71.0) |
| What caregivers are most concerned about avoiding when scheduling outdoor activitiesd | ||
| Sun only | 0 | 2 (2.2) |
| Heat only | 24 (26.1) | 32 (34.8) |
| Both sun and heat | 68 (73.9) | 58 (63.0) |
| Sunscreen | ||
| Parents asked to help students apply sunscreen before program | 27 (26.5) | 39 (39.0) |
| Program had sunscreen available for students to use | 61 (59.8) | 48 (48.0) |
| Students were allowed to apply own sunscreen | 25 (24.5) | 16 (16.0) |
| Caregivers allowed time for students to apply sunscreen before going outside at program | 84 (82.4) | 92 (92.0) |
| Caregivers remind students to apply sunscreen before going outsidee | 71 (69.6) | 83 (83.0) |
| Sun-protective clothing | ||
| Students were encouraged to wear T-shirts that cover the shoulders when in the sun | 51 (50.0) | 49 (49.0) |
| Students were encouraged to wear hats or visors when in the sun | 42 (41.2) | 35 (35.0) |
| Sunburns | ||
| Times students had a red or painful sunburn for more than 12 h while at their program in the past monthc | ||
| 0 | 83 (81.4) | 46 (46.0) |
| ≥1 | 19 (18.6) | 54 (54.0) |
a
Mean values. General health behaviors included good nutrition, adequate exercise, wearing a seat belt, wearing a helmet when riding a bike, learning how to swim, brushing teeth daily, and having age-appropriate vaccinations.
b
Mean values. Sun protection behaviors included playing in the shade and wearing a sun hat and/or shirt that has at least short sleeves when outside on a warm sunny day.
c
P < .001.
d
n = 92 for both groups for this question.
e
P = .01.