Miles, A;
Waller, J;
Hiom, S;
Swanston, D;
(2005)
SunSmart? Skin cancer knowledge and preventive behaviour in a British population representative sample.
HEALTH EDUC RES
, 20
(5)
579 - 585.
10.1093/her/cyh010.
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Abstract
The incidence of skin cancer has risen rapidly in the UK over the last 20 years, prompting public health organizations to try and raise awareness of the dangers of sun exposure and the need to practice sun-safe behaviour. This study aimed to assess baseline levels of sun-safe knowledge and behaviour in a British population-representative sample, prior to the launch of Cancer Research UK's 'SunSmart' campaign. A face-to-face survey was conducted through the Office for National Statistics as part of their Omnibus survey. In total, 1848 men and women aged 18 and over were interviewed. Knowledge of what to do to reduce skin cancer risk was modest. Two-thirds mentioned avoiding the sun by seeking shade, 50% mentioned covering up and only 43% said to use high factor sunscreen. Practice of sun-safe behaviours was also poor, with only one-third saying they sought shade, covered up or used high factor sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun. Men and those from lower socioeconomic groups were least informed and least likely to report using sun-protective behaviours. Increases in both knowledge and use of appropriate sun-protective behaviours are needed if skin cancer incidence rates are to decrease.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | SunSmart? Skin cancer knowledge and preventive behaviour in a British population representative sample |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/her/cyh010 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/her/cyh010 |
| Additional information: | �© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Keywords: | SUN PROTECTION BEHAVIORS, MELANOMA, AWARENESS, EDUCATION, STUDENTS, EXPOSURE, SUNBURN, ADULTS, RISK |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health > Epidemiology and Public Health |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/6754 |
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