State SUNucate laws may influence Google search trends related to sun-protective habits and sunscreen use among young people, according to a study published by Carpenter et al in Health Behavior and Policy Review. In the observational study, investigators used Google Trends data from 2004 to 2022 and responses from the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey between 2009 and 2019 to determine whether state SUNucate laws—allowing for the application of sunscreen on school grounds—may increase sunscreen use among youths and Google search behavior related to sun protection. The investigators found that high school–aged adolescents who attended schools partaking in the state SUNucate laws were 27.2% more likely to search Google for terms such as “sunscreen” (95% confidence interval [CI] = 12.7%–41.7%) and 8.3% more likely to apply sunscreen (95% CI = 0.01%–15.0%). The investigators concluded that state SUNucate laws may be effective strategies for increasing sun-protective behavior among school-aged children and adolescents.


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