Sun Protection Habits and Attitudes Among Healthcare Personnel in a Mediterranean Population

Abstract

Health professionals are key agents in healthcare promotion. In the field of skin cancer, they play a crucial role in the development of prevention strategies in the community. This paper aims to describe the sun exposure attitudes and habits of public healthcare professionals in the western Costa del Sol (Spain). A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in the Costa del Sol healthcare district to analyse sun exposure and protection practices and habits, and attitudes to tanning and sun protection. The respondents, all healthcare personnel in various professional categories and workplace situations, were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Six hundred forty-three workers in the Costa del Sol healthcare district took part in the study. Of these participants, 450 were healthcare professionals. Of the 450 health professionals, 226 (50.2 %) were nurses or auxiliary nursing staff, and the remaining 224 were doctors. These two groups presented differences regarding habits of sun exposure: 15.3 % of the doctors went to the beach at least 30 days a year, compared to 30.9 % of the nurses (p < 0.001). With respect to workplace situation, there were differences (p < 0.001) between the sunburn events reported by healthcare staff who worked in hospitals (52.4 %) compared to those working in primary healthcare (30.4 %); comparable differences were found with respect to attitudes toward the use of sunscreen creams (p = 0.014). This study identifies two distinct subgroups within healthcare personnel: on one hand, primary healthcare professionals, who are key agents for future policy strategies, and on the other, specialist healthcare professionals, who are more likely to suffer sunburn events and therefore toward whom strategies should be addressed to encourage them to change their sun exposure attitudes and habits and sun protection practices.

Primary prevention of keratinocyte carcinoma among outdoor workers, the general population and medical professionals: a systematic review updated for 2019

“…Twenty‐eight per cent to 86% of different medical professionals applied sunscreen during sun exposure . Sixty‐one per cent of Turkish nurses reported that when buying sunscreen, the SPF of the sunscreen was their top consideration …”

“…Among medical professionals, approximately 45–70% stated not going outside between 10 am and 4 pm, and 60–94% mentioned seeking shade when going outside on sunny days …”

“…Forty‐nine per cent to 62% of medical professionals wore light‐coloured clothing and fewer than 50% wore long‐sleeved clothes to protect from UVR …”

“…9 Twenty-eight per cent to 86% of different medical professionals applied sunscreen during sun exposure. [48][49][50][51][52][53]55,73 Sixty-one per cent of Turkish nurses reported that when buying sunscreen, the SPF of the sunscreen was their top consideration. 49 Shade Thirty-nine per cent of the general population stated that they avoided sun exposure around the midday hours on sunny days, 28 and 15-53% used shade to protect from KC.…”

“…41 Among medical professionals, approximately 45-70% stated not going outside between 10 am and 4 pm, and 60-94% mentioned seeking shade when going outside on sunny days. 49,50,52,53,55,73 Headgear Between 4% and 99% of the general population reported protecting themselves from sun by using a hat during sun exposure. [28][29][30]40,[57][58][59][60][61]74,75 The percentage of outdoor workers who stated that they wear any kind of hat at work varied between 3% and 94%; 9,36,37,41,43,47,66,67,69,71,72,76 while wearing a wide-brimmed hat ranged between 15% and 28%.…”