Exposure to solar UV radiation of Polish teenagers after the first COVID-19 lockdown in March–April 2020

Abstract

In Poland, schools were closed from March to June 2020 due to the COVID-19 epidemic. During the lockdown (March–April), everyone was advised to stay at home. From May, students were allowed to spend time outdoors. We examine their exposure to solar UV radiation during the period of virtual learning at schools (May–June), vacations (July–August) and the first month of typical learning (September). Primary and high school students aged 12–18 completed a questionnaire on the details of their outdoor activities and the weather at the exposure site. A total of 146 anonymous questionnaires were registered for the study. The survey responses provided input to a radiative transfer model to estimate erythemal and vitamin D doses obtained by teenagers during outdoor activities. The results from 48% of the questionnaires indicated that students’ exposure exceeded 1 minimal erythema dose (MED) during the day. Corresponding doses of sun-synthesized vitamin D, in excess of 1000 international units (IU) and 2000 IU, were found in 77% and 66% of the surveys, respectively. Only 12% of the teenagers declared that they use sunscreen. The overexposure (> 1 MED) increased with age. It was found in 72% and 26% of surveys among the students aged 17–18 and 12–14, respectively. Teenagers seem to have tried to compensate for the lack of sunlight during the lockdown by engaging in outdoor activities permitted since May. While those activities could have improved their vitamin D levels, they also put them at a higher risk of developing erythema.