Protecting people from skin cancer – Exploring a practice-oriented assessment methodology for schoolyards in New Zealand

Abstract

Overexposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) leads to significant adverse health effects globally, the most dangerous being skin cancer. Current approaches to reducing skin cancer rely on building public awareness of the dangers and individual sun protection measures (e.g., wearing hats and applying sunscreen), which has been found to be inadequate. While landscape design can help prevent overexposure, the focus has only been on shade provision. Studies indicate many people are not using shaded areas, and even if they do, they are not adequately protected from UVR exposure. For children to be protected in open spaces, based on existing research findings, the study proposes four key design objectives that need to be met: 1) protection from direct UVR overexposure, 2) protection from indirect UVR overexposure, 3) ensuring thermal comfort, and 4) providing attractive activities or play opportunities. Based on the four key objectives, the study intends to develop a more simplified and user-friendly methodology to make quick qualitative judgements that allow practitioners and decisionmakers to make strategic decisions—the study proceeds in three steps. First, to develop preliminary design guidelines by summarizing and synthesizing the latest evidence-based findings to identify critical design components affecting the four key objectives. Second, to establish suitability criteria for measuring the objectives. Third, using the overlay mapping method, developing factor maps based on inventory and 3-D modelling to determine landscape units that meet the suitability criteria established for the four key objectives. Using schoolyards in Christchurch, New Zealand, the proposed methodology is tested in a pilot study. The results of the pilot study are used to discuss the potential opportunities and constraints around developing and testing the methodology. Some preliminary findings identified the methodology to be effective in translating complex, inaccessible evidential data into comprehensible, applicable spatial forms. The overlay mapping provides a powerful visual and analytical method to identify the landscape units meeting/not meeting the suitability criteria. Clearly, we need to move toward embracing sun protection behaviour design for open spaces as the new norm if we are to ensure the health and welfare of our children, and such practice-oriented methodologies are essential to inform decisions where effective and efficient implementation is critical.