Enhancing industry-based dissemination of an occupational sun protection program with theory-based strategies employing personal contact

Purpose. Industry-based strategies for dissemination of an evidence-based occupational sun protection program, Go Sun Smart (GSS), were tested. Design. Two dissemination strategies were compared in a randomized trial in 2004-2007. Setting. The North American ski industry. Subjects. Ski areas in the United States and Canada (n 5 69) and their senior managers (n 5 469). Intervention. Employers received GSS through a basic dissemination strategy (BDS) from the industry's professional association that included conference presentations and free starter kits. Half of the areas also received the enhanced dissemination strategy (EDS), in which project staff met face-to-face with managers and made ongoing contacts to support program use. Measures. Observation of program materials in use and managers' reports on communication about sun protection. Analysis. The effects of two alternative dissemination strategies were compared on program use using PROC MIXED in SAS, adjusted for covariates using one-tailed p values. Results. Ski areas receiving the EDS used more GSS materials (x 5 7.36) than those receiving the BDS (x 5 5.17; F 5 7.82, p < .01). Managers from more areas receiving the EDS reported communicating about sun protection in employee newsletters/flyers (x 5 .97, p 5 .04), in guest e-mail messages (x 5 .75, p 5 .02), and on ski area Web sites (x 5 .38, p 5 .02) than those receiving the BDS (x 5 .84, .50, .15, respectively). Conclusion. Industry professional associations play an important role in disseminating prevention programs; however, active personal communication may be essential to ensure increased implementation fidelity.