Sun-health behaviours and attitudes towards sun safety amongst Australian teenagers: a qualitative update

Gamage, Nisali; Nguyen, Rebecca; Clare, Isabelle M; Lucas, Robyn; Strickland, Mark; Granich, Joanna; Gorman, Shelley

doi:10.1186/s13104-021-05764-9

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Previous research among adolescents suggested that the desirability of a tan, having a non-favourable attitude about sun protection and a strong influence of fashion trends on wearing protective garments might explain poor sun protection compliance [ 42 , 43 , 44 ]. Moreover, an absence of long-term risk perceptions regarding skin cancer and a future quality of life among adolescents might function as a barrier for sun protection performance [ 45 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Sun Protection Behaviours among Australian Adolescents and Adults over a Six-Year Period

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The major cause for skin cancer is the excessive and unprotected exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), which can be prevented by engaging in sun protection behaviours. As longitudinal studies on both adolescents’ and adults’ performances of sun protection behaviours are limited, the current study aimed to investigate changes in sun protection in these population segments in Western Australia, a region with high annual UVR. During six summer seasons (2015/16 to 2020/21), cross-sectional surveys were conducted among 1806 adolescents (14 to 17 years old) and 1808 adults (18–45 years old), investigating the frequency of five sun protection behaviours (wearing clothing, applying sunscreen, wearing a hat, wearing sunglasses, and seeking shade) and sun avoidance (staying indoors). Over the six-year period, staying indoors increased in both groups. Among adolescents, a decrease in wearing clothing and sunglasses and an increase in seeking shade was demonstrated, and hat and sunscreen use remained relatively stable. Among adults, an increase in sunscreen use was shown, whereas all other sun-related behaviours remained consistent over the six-year period. The results from this study can provide directions for health communications focusing on improving sun protection behaviours among both adolescent and adult populations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of Sun Protection Behaviours among Australian Adolescents and Adults over a Six-Year Period

et al. 2023

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This was perhaps unexpected as we observed less engagement of male coresearchers during the co-design process, with fewer men than women recruited as coresearchers, and some uncertainty regarding how feedback from male coresearchers translated into the development of Sun Safe [ 9 ]. Male coresearchers also displayed a sense of indifference regarding sun protection through interviews conducted as part of the Sun Safe co-design process [ 38 ]. Whether these increases in sun health knowledge translate into improved sun-protective behaviors by men is uncertain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Using the Sun Safe App on Sun Health Knowledge and Behaviors of Young Teenagers: Results of Pilot Intervention Studies

Clare¹,

Gamage²,

Alvares³

et al. 2022

JMIR Dermatol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background A balanced approach toward sun exposure and protection is needed by young people. Excessive sun exposure increases their risk for skin cancers such as melanoma, whereas some exposure is necessary for vitamin D and healthy bones. We have developed a new iOS smartphone app—Sun Safe—through a co-design process, which aims to support healthy and balanced decision-making by young teenagers (aged 12-13 years). Objective The aim of this study was to test the capacity of Sun Safe to improve sun health knowledge and behaviors of young teenagers in 3 pilot intervention studies completed in 2020. Methods Young teenagers (aged 12-13 years; N=57) were recruited through the web or through a local school via an open-access website and given access to Sun Safe (29/57, 51%) or a placebo (SunDial) app (28/57, 49%). Participants completed sun health questionnaires and knowledge quizzes before and after the 6-week intervention (either on the web or in class) and rated the quality of the app they used via a survey. Results Of the 57 participants, 51 (89%) participants (26, 51% for placebo arm and 25, 49% for the Sun Safe arm) completed these studies, with most (>50%) reporting that they used a smartphone to access their designated app either “once a fortnight” or “once/twice in total.” Improved sun health knowledge—particularly about the UV Index—was observed in participants who were given access to Sun Safe compared with those who used the placebo (−6.2 [percentage correct] difference in predicted means, 95% CI –12.4 to –0.03; P=.049; 2-way ANOVA). Unexpectedly, there were significantly more sunburn events in the Sun Safe group (relative risk 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-1.8; P=.02; Fisher exact test), although no differences in time spent outdoors or sun-protective behaviors were reported. COVID-19 pandemic–related community-wide shutdowns during April 2020 (when schools were closed) reduced the time spent outdoors by >100 minutes per day (–105 minutes per day difference in predicted means, 95% CI –150 to –59 minutes per day; P=.002; paired 2-tailed Student t test). Sun Safe was well-rated by participants, particularly for information (mean 4.2, SD 0.6 out of 5). Conclusions Access to the Sun Safe app increased sun health knowledge among young teenagers in these pilot intervention studies. Further investigations with larger sample sizes are required to confirm these observations and further test the effects of Sun Safe on sun-protective behaviors.

show abstract

“…Children are considered a high-risk population group, and they are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of UVR sun exposure [7,8] since approximately 50-80% of the skin's sun damage occurs in childhood [9]. Hence, cancer prevention efforts should be directed at children and youth [10][11][12]. Children should be targeted because preventive behaviors initiated early in life regarding the dangers of UVR sun exposure, such as wearing sunscreen, hats, shirts, and sunglasses [13,14], are established as consistent patterns of healthy behaviors in adult life [15,16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the Sun Exposure and Protection Index (SEPI) in Greek: An Instrument for Measuring Children’s Sun Protection Propensity

Theodosi

Nicolaidou

2023

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Skin cancer, the most common type of cancer worldwide, has been linked to overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) without protection. As skin cancer is a preventable type of cancer, there is a pressing need to adopt health-promoting behaviors early in life. The Sun Exposure and Protection Index (SEPI) is an instrument for evaluating adults’ sun exposure habits and the propensity to increase sun protection with widely accepted validity and reliability in Swedish, English, and German. The present study aims to validate SEPI with children in Greek. Data was collected from 127 primary school students in Cyprus who completed the instrument twice within two weeks. Internal consistency calculated by Cronbach’s alpha was 0.69 for all 13 items included in SEPI. A statistically significant (p < 0.01) strong and positive correlation coefficient (Pearson’s r = 0.63) was measured between the total scores for parts 1 and 2. Test–retest stability was high and significant (ρ > 0.5, p < 0.01) for all items but one. In conclusion, the Greek version of SEPI demonstrates reasonable internal consistency, as Cronbach’s alpha is at a relatively acceptable level. It can be used for evaluating prevention interventions assessing sun exposure habits, and the propensity to increase sun protection among primary school students.

show abstract

Sun-health behaviours and attitudes towards sun safety amongst Australian teenagers: a qualitative update

Cited by 7 publications

References 12 publications

Patterns of Sun Protection Behaviours among Australian Adolescents and Adults over a Six-Year Period

Patterns of Sun Protection Behaviours among Australian Adolescents and Adults over a Six-Year Period

The Effects of Using the Sun Safe App on Sun Health Knowledge and Behaviors of Young Teenagers: Results of Pilot Intervention Studies

Validation of the Sun Exposure and Protection Index (SEPI) in Greek: An Instrument for Measuring Children’s Sun Protection Propensity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About