Abstract
Objectives: To describe Scottish adolescents’ sun-related behaviours and tanning attitudes and assess associations with skin cancer awareness.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: 20 state secondary schools in one Scottish local authority (Glasgow City).
Participants: 2173 adolescents (females: 50.7%,n=1102) with a mean age of 12.4 (SD=0.55).Outcome measures: Sun-related behaviour (suntan, sunbathing, sunburn, sunscreen use, sunbed use),tanning attitudes, skin cancer-related symptom and risk factor awareness.
Results: Adolescents reported poor sun-related practice: 51% of adolescents reported sunburn the previous summer of whom 38% indicated sunburn on more than one occasion. Skin cancer awareness was low: 45% recognised ‘change in the appearance of amole’ as a cancer symptom, and 39% agreed that‘ getting sunburnt more than once as a child’ increased cancer risk. 42% and 26% of adolescents, respectively, reported that friends and family held protanning attitudes. Compared with males, females were statistically significantly more likely to: report sunbathing ( p<0.001), use of lotions or oil to aid tanning ( p=0.009) and sunburn ( p<0.001); know that changes in the appearance of a mole was a skin cancer symptom ( p=0.036) and sunburn more than once as a child was a skin cancer risk factor( p=0.005); perceive their friends to hold protanning attitudes ( p<0.001) and indicate that a tan made them feel better about themselves ( p<0.001), more attractive to others ( p=0.011) and healthier( p<0.001).
Conclusions: Scottish adolescents had poor sun protection practice and low skin cancer awareness. Girls adopted riskier sun-related behaviour despite greater awareness of skin cancer-related risk. Urgent action is required to promote positive sun-related behaviour and increase skin cancer awareness among Scottish adolescents. However, further research is needed to inform the development of effective sun safe interventions.
Design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: 20 state secondary schools in one Scottish local authority (Glasgow City).
Participants: 2173 adolescents (females: 50.7%,n=1102) with a mean age of 12.4 (SD=0.55).Outcome measures: Sun-related behaviour (suntan, sunbathing, sunburn, sunscreen use, sunbed use),tanning attitudes, skin cancer-related symptom and risk factor awareness.
Results: Adolescents reported poor sun-related practice: 51% of adolescents reported sunburn the previous summer of whom 38% indicated sunburn on more than one occasion. Skin cancer awareness was low: 45% recognised ‘change in the appearance of amole’ as a cancer symptom, and 39% agreed that‘ getting sunburnt more than once as a child’ increased cancer risk. 42% and 26% of adolescents, respectively, reported that friends and family held protanning attitudes. Compared with males, females were statistically significantly more likely to: report sunbathing ( p<0.001), use of lotions or oil to aid tanning ( p=0.009) and sunburn ( p<0.001); know that changes in the appearance of a mole was a skin cancer symptom ( p=0.036) and sunburn more than once as a child was a skin cancer risk factor( p=0.005); perceive their friends to hold protanning attitudes ( p<0.001) and indicate that a tan made them feel better about themselves ( p<0.001), more attractive to others ( p=0.011) and healthier( p<0.001).
Conclusions: Scottish adolescents had poor sun protection practice and low skin cancer awareness. Girls adopted riskier sun-related behaviour despite greater awareness of skin cancer-related risk. Urgent action is required to promote positive sun-related behaviour and increase skin cancer awareness among Scottish adolescents. However, further research is needed to inform the development of effective sun safe interventions.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | e005137 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | BMJ Open |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 2 May 2014 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2 May 2014 |
