Photoprotection among young children: assessment of mothers' awareness and health behaviors

Abstract

Introduction Due to the increasing incidence of skin cancer in the last decades a wide promotion of proper sun protection is needed. Mothers and their children commonly spending time outdoors are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of sunlight. Aim To assess health awareness and behaviours connected to sun protection in the group of mothers of children under 6 years of age. Material and methods An online survey containing 23 questions (19 closed and 4 open) was carried out between July and August 2019. One hundred and seven women (mean age: 30.7 ±4.3years) participated in the study. The mean age of children was 1.9 ±1.6years (range: 0–6 years). Results One hundred and five (98.1%) mothers declared using sunscreen. Of them, 36 women used sunscreen only in summer, while 14 women applied sunscreen all year. Mothers of younger children used sunscreen all year round significantly more often ( p = 0.041) compared to mothers of older children. Mothers of children under the age of 1 used sunscreen when staying in the shade more often ( p = 0.025) than mothers of older children. Only 14 (13.3%) women declared applying sunscreen on their children during cloudy weather. Conclusions A good photoprotection awareness of mothers, especially with respect to the youngest children was observed. However, a need for further education regarding certain photoprotection aspects (proper application and damaging effect of UVA) is necessary.

Attitudes, Behaviors, and Risks of Sun Protection to Prevent Skin Cancer Amongst Children, Adolescents, and Adults

“…Mineral filters were the most popular choice with 44.8% of respondents preferring them as compared to 1.9% who used chemical filters and 15.2% using mixed filters. An SPF of over 50 was important to 54.3% while SPF of 30 was preferred by 33.3% [19].…”

“…This also correlated to the year-round use of sunscreen. While 21% of children less than two years old had sunscreen applied year-round, only 5% of children older than two had sunscreen applied year-round [19].…”

“…When asked about time spent outdoors with their child, 72% of respondents indicated they spend seven days per week outside. For 64.4% of the respondents, more than one hour was spent each day outside [19].…”

“…In addition, 29.5% of respondents stated they only apply sunscreen once before the walk while 33.3% stated they apply frequently and as needed depending on the walk duration and weather conditions. Unfortunately, 14.3% of the children experienced erythema despite wearing sunscreen [19].…”

“…The statistics are prone to bias due to the format as a survey and should be analyzed with scrutiny. Additionally, these statistics may indicate potential lapses in education standards, which may lead to an increase in UV exposure among adolescents [19].…”