OBJECTIVES To examine the efficacy of UV photographs and information about photoaging (eg, wrinkles and age spots) for increasing the sun protection intentions and behaviors of young adults and to determine whether any effects of this appearance-based intervention could be enhanced by providing a non-UV alternative for achieving a tan (ie, sunless tanning lotion). DESIGN Randomized control tr...

Children spend more time outdoors than adults and there is compelling evidence that childhood is a particularly vulnerable time for the photocarcinogenic effects of the sun. The negative effects of solar radiation are accumulated during the entire lifetime; however 80% of total lifetime sun exposure is taking place before the age of 18 years. Child skin is more sensitive than adult skin because...

Informal workers in African market trade have little formal protection against sun exposure. We aimed to examine sun exposure, sun-related symptoms, and sun protection practices in an informal occupational setting. Trained fieldworkers asked 236 workers in the Warwick Junction market about their workplace, skin and eye sensitivity and skin colour, symptoms faced at work during the summer due to...

BACKGROUND In both Sweden and Australia high incidence rates of skin cancer have become a major health problem. In prevention and risk communication, it is important to have reliable ways for identifying people with risky sun habits. In this study the validity and reliability of the questionnaire Sun Exposure Protection Index (SEPI), developed to assess individual's sun habits and their propens...

In 1999, the authors began recruitment for a randomized controlled intervention trial aimed at preventing melanocytic nevi (moles) by minimizing sun exposure through the use of sun-protective clothing. The study involves 652 Caucasian children (75.6% response) aged 0-35 months from 25 child-care centers (n = 13 intervention and n = 12 control) living in the high-solar-irradiance environment of ...

Magazines focused on parenting are popular in the United States, and parents may use them to guide decisions about the health of their children. We analyzed issues of 2 popular parenting magazines published in the past 11 years during the months of peak ultraviolet radiation exposure for content related to sun protection and for advertisements for skin products that did and did not contain sun ...

IMPORTANCE Mobile smartphones are rapidly emerging as an effective means of communicating with many Americans. Using mobile applications (apps), they can access remote databases, track time and location, and integrate user input to provide tailored health information. OBJECTIVE A smartphone mobile app providing personalized, real-time sun protection advice was evaluated in a randomized clinic...

Objective: To explore gender and age differences in North Queensland (NQ) adult’s sun protection knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours. Methods: A qualitative ‘grounded theory’ approach was used to develop concepts out of data collected from 42 men and 22 women via interviews and focus groups. Results and Discussion: In contrast to NQ men, the women in this study often had accurate knowl...