Prevalence of sun exposure and its associated factors in southern Brazil: a population-based study

Abstract

BACKGROUND Sunlight exposure is responsible for a large number of dermatological diseases. OBJECTIVE We estimated the prevalence of sunlight exposure and its associated factors in adults from southern Brazil in a cross-sectional, population-based study. METHODSWe investigated a representative sample of individuals aged ≥ 20 years (n=3,136). Sunlight exposure and its associated factors were evaluated in two distinct situations: at leisure time and at work. The time period investigated ranged from December 2004 to March 2005, comprising 120 days of the highest ultraviolet index in the urban area of the city of Pelotas, in southern Brazil. The participants were asked about sunlight exposure for at least 20 minutes between 10 A.M. and 4 P.M. The analysis was stratified by sex, and sunlight exposure was grouped into five categories. RESULTSAmong the 3,136 participants, prevalence of sunlight exposure at the beach was 32.8% (95% CI, 30.3 - 35.2) and 26.3% (95% CI, 24.2 28.3) among men and women, respectively. The prevalence at work was 39.8% (95% CI, 37.2 - 42.4) among men and 10.5% (95% CI, 9.1 - 12.0) among women. Age was inversely associated with sunlight exposure. Family income and achieved schooling were positively associated with sunlight exposure at leisure time and inversely associated with sunglight exposure at work. Self-reported skin color was not associated. Knowledge of any friend or relative who has been affected by skin cancer was positively associated with sunlight exposure among men at work. CONCLUSIONDespite the media campaigns on the harmful effects of excessive sunlight exposure, we found a high prevalence of sunlight exposure during a period of high ultraviolet index.

Modifiable Risk-factors for Keratinocyte Cancers in Australia: A Case-control Study

“…This is consistent with a randomized con trolled trial that did not show any significant difference in the incidence of KC between "daily sunscreen" and the "no sunscreen" group (34,35). One plausible explanation is that sunscreenusers stay outdoors longer, merely delaying sunburn (or accumulating a high suberythemal dose) rather than pre venting over-exposure (36)(37)(38). Furthermore, the effectiveness of sunscreen depends on its SPF, the amount applied, application frequency, and the user's skinphototype (36,(39)(40)(41).…”

“…This study found that a substantial proportion of cases and controls exhibited several risk-behaviours, including spending more than 4 h/day outdoors, and infrequent use of sunscreen, shirts and hats; even though the prevalence of all 3 behaviours increased significantly between 1970 and 2010. The latter is probably a consequence of the mass media campaigns introduced in Australia from 1980 onwards to raise awareness about skin cancer and sun-protection (12,37). These findings highlight the importance of public health campaigns in encouraging lifelong use of sunprotection and promoting regular skin checks (12,47).…”

Prevalence and trends of sunscreen use and sunburn among Norwegian women

“…Sex is associated with sunscreen use, with a lower frequency in men. 20,33,41 In summary, in this large population-based cohort, sunscreen use was associated with age, education, skin colour, skin sensitivity to the sun and the number of naevi. The prevalence of sunscreen use increased from 1997 to 2007.…”

“…Our study included only women aged ≥ 40 years. Sex is associated with sunscreen use, with a lower frequency in men …”

Sun Exposure Prevalence and Associated Skin Health Habits: Results from the Austrian Population-Based UVSkinRisk Survey

“…Overall one-year sun exposure prevalence of 47% was quite high, with slightly higher rates in males (48%) compared to females (46%). Duquia et al found lower sun exposure prevalences among Brazilian men and women when studying sun exposure during midday hours at the beach (males: 33%, females: 26%) and at work (40% and 11%), respectively [ 25 ]. In a French study, 78% of study subjects exposed themselves to the sun, with as many as 38% of them did not use appropriate sun protection measures [ 17 ].…”