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Dexter B, Smith A, King R, Downs NJ, Nikles CJ, Parisi AV, Ho YH, Harrison SL. Serial Cross-Sectional Observations of Sun-Protective Behaviors at an Annual Outdoor Motorsport Event in Tropical Queensland, Australia. Photochem Photobiol 2023; 99:1352-1356. [PMID: 36567625 DOI: 10.1111/php.13773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Skin cancer, the most prevalent cancer in Caucasians residing at low latitudes, can primarily be prevented by avoiding overexposure to sunlight. Serial cross-sectional observations were conducted at an outdoor motorsport event held in Townsville, Queensland each July (Southern winter) to determine whether sun-protection habits changed over time. Most (71.1%) of the 1337 attendees observed (97.6% lightly pigmented skin, 64.0% male) wore a hat (any style shading the face), while few (18.5%) wore three-quarter or full-length sleeves. While hat-wearing rates (any style) were similar in 2009 (326, 72.6%) and 2013 (625, 70.4%), the use of sun-protective styles (wide-brimmed/bucket/legionnaires) decreased from 29.2% to 18.6% over the same period, primarily because the use of sun-protective hats halved (from 28.7% to 14.0%) among females, while decreasing from 29.4% to 21.1% in males. Although relatively few individuals wore sun-protective (three-quarter-length or full-length) sleeves regardless of year (OR = 0.117, P < 0.0001), encouragingly, the use of sun-protective sleeves more than doubled between 2009 (10.5%) and 2013 (22.5%). Interestingly females, albeit the minority, at this sporting event were less likely to wear a hat (OR = 0.473, P < 0.0001) than males. These findings highlight the need for continued momentum toward skin cancer primary prevention through sun protection with a dedicated focus on outdoor sporting settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Dexter
- Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
| | - Annika Smith
- Skin Cancer Research Unit, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
- Melanoma Institute of Australia, Wollstonecraft, NSW, Australia
| | - Rachel King
- Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
| | - Nathan J Downs
- Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
- Skin Cancer Research Unit, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Catherine Jane Nikles
- Faculty of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Alfio V Parisi
- Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
- Skin Cancer Research Unit, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Yik-Hong Ho
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Simone Lee Harrison
- Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia
- Skin Cancer Research Unit, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
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Haynes A, Nathan A, Maitland C, Dixon H, Nicholson A, Wakefield M, Dobbinson S. Prevalence and Correlates of Observed Sun Protection Behaviors Across Different Public Outdoor Settings in Melbourne, Australia. HEALTH EDUCATION & BEHAVIOR 2021; 49:405-414. [PMID: 34238043 DOI: 10.1177/10901981211026535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Skin cancer prevention efforts in Australia have increasingly incorporated a focus on protection during incidental sun exposure. This complements the long-present messages promoting protection in high-risk settings and avoidance of acute intense bouts of sun exposure. Data from two waves of a cross-sectional direct observational survey was used to assess the prevalence and correlates of N = 12,083 adolescents' and adults' sun protection behavior (arm and leg cover, hat, sunglasses, and shade cover). Individuals were observed in public outdoor settings in Melbourne, Australia during peak ultraviolet (UV) times (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) on summer weekends. Settings included pools and beaches, parks and gardens, and for the first time in 2018, outdoor streets and cafés which may capture more incidental forms of sun exposure and represent another public setting where Australians commonly spend time outdoors. Females and older adults were consistently better protected than males and adolescents. Physical activity was strongly associated with low shade cover across settings. Weather was more strongly associated with sun protection at outdoor streets/cafes and parks/gardens than at pools/beaches but use of observed sun protection (particularly arm cover and covering hat) was low across settings. Continued public education about UV risk and its relation to weather and the seasons is needed to promote the routine use of multiple forms of sun protection during outdoor activities in peak UV times, especially among males and adolescents. Findings also highlight the importance of considering activity demands of public spaces in shade planning to optimize sun protection during outdoor activities in public spaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh Haynes
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrea Nathan
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Clover Maitland
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen Dixon
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anna Nicholson
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Melanie Wakefield
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Suzanne Dobbinson
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Ziehfreund S, Schuster B, Zink A. Primary prevention of keratinocyte carcinoma among outdoor workers, the general population and medical professionals: a systematic review updated for 2019. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2019; 33:1477-1495. [PMID: 30801774 DOI: 10.1111/jdv.15525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide 2-3 million cases of keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) are diagnosed annually. Sun-related knowledge is essential for adequate protection against solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR), the main risk factor for KC. The goal was (i) to provide an updated overview of primary prevention against KC including skin cancer-related knowledge, attitudes and sun protection behaviour (SPB) of outdoor workers, the general population and medical professionals as well as (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of sun protection programmes. We conducted a systematic review of articles indexed for MEDLINE on PubMed using selected MeSH terms and keywords related to the studied topic as well as an extensive hand search of publications between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2018. We identified 51 relevant cross-sectional studies and 22 interventional studies. Sun-related knowledge and attitude showed substantial differences with some alarming results, including people who had not even heard about skin cancer before. Reported SPB varied enormously between the included studies, with none of the studies providing an overall sufficient SPB in their examined sun protection measures. However, sun protection programmes using new technologies seem to have great potential to increase sun-related knowledge and SPB. In countries worldwide, particularly in those where KC is not yet a public health issue, UVR protection should be promoted by healthcare institutions and authorities, politicians, cancer foundations and dermatologists to increase awareness as well as SPB and to decrease the worldwide burden of KC.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Ziehfreund
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - B Schuster
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - A Zink
- Department of Dermatology and Allergy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
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