A SOCIAL media sun safety campaign increased awareness and was associated with protective behaviors among young adults.
Sun Safety Campaign Expands Campus Awareness
An Instagram based campaign embedded within a broader university skin cancer prevention initiative achieved meaningful reach, engagement, and message recall during the 2024 to 2025 academic year.
Researchers analyzed anonymous precampaign surveys from 230 participants and postcampaign surveys from 267 participants. The campaign included 62 Instagram posts, comprising 43 educational posts and 19 outreach posts, alongside campus signage, online educational materials, and publicly accessible sunscreen dispensers.
Ten campus organizations reshared campaign content, extending its potential reach to 5,711 followers. Educational posts averaged 262 views, with approximately 38 nonfollowers reached per post.
After the campaign, 48.7% of participants reported awareness of the campaign’s Instagram account, compared with 24.1% who reported awareness of the broader campus initiative before the campaign. This difference was statistically significant.
Sunscreen Messages Show Strong Recall
Among 124 participants who recalled campaign themes, sunscreen use was the most frequently remembered topic, reported by 97.6%. Protective clothing was recalled by 89.5%, tanning bed risks by 85.5%, skin cancer across skin tones by 83.9%, and winter sun safety by 78.2%.
The findings suggest that posting frequency was not the only factor influencing message salience. Tanning bed risks and skin cancer across skin tones appeared in fewer posts but were still recalled by most participants who recognized the account.
Campaign awareness differed by skin type. Awareness was reported by 56.7% of participants with lighter skin types and 35.9% of those with darker skin types, indicating a need for more inclusive messaging among groups who may perceive themselves to be at lower risk.
Digital and Environmental Strategies Work Together
Participants who followed the Instagram account reported a higher composite sun safety score than nonfollowers, with mean scores of 24.9 and 18.5, respectively. Followers also reported greater sunscreen use, protective clothing use, shade seeking, and UV index checking.
After adjustment, Instagram followers were more than six times as likely to report higher sun safety behavior scores. Participants who used campus sunscreen dispensers were nearly eight times as likely to report higher scores.
However, the researchers emphasized that these associations do not establish causation. People already interested in sun protection may have been more likely to follow the account or use the dispensers.
The findings support pairing tailored digital health promotion with accessible environmental resources. Future sun safety campaigns should strengthen outreach across skin tones, address seasonal misconceptions, and use culturally relevant content to support equitable skin cancer prevention.
Reference
Mendoza JM et al. Pre-post evaluation of a sun safety social media campaign for young adults to reduce skin cancer risk. JMIR Dermatol. 2026;9.
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