Search

Background: During the last decade, results of surveys of adults showed an increase in sun protection knowledge, a slight decline in the attitude that having a tan was healthy, widespread sunscreen use as the principal method of solar protection, and an increase in sunburning. Methods: During the summer of 1996, observers recorded the sun protection activities of 352 family groups as they arrived at the beach and did concurrent interviews. Results: Ninety-eight percent of families using sunscreen applied it after arrival at the beach and it was the dominant form of sun protection used. Usually, the adult woman provided the sunscreen and applied it to a child before applying it to herself. The median delay in application from arrival at the beach to application to the last family member was 51 minutes. Wearing either a hat, shirt, or sunscreen by 1 adult was associated with wearing the same item by at least 1 child in the family group (hat, P [is less than] .001; shirt, P [is less than] .001; sunscreen, P [is less than] .001). Children's sunscreen use was associated with having fair skin and a parent who used it. Conclusions: Because those with fair skin type are more likely to use sunscreen and to burn after short periods of exposure, delay in sunscreen application may cause sunburns. While solar protection has become part of routine beach behaviors for most families, there is room for improvement with better application of sunscreen; more use of clothing, especially hats; and seeking shade. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1998; 152:466-470, Widespread sunscreen use at the beach shows awareness of dangers of sunburn, but application timing is not as effective as could be. Of 352 family groups observed, 98% applied sunscreen after their arrival, with the average elapsed time between arrival and the last family member protected being 51 minutes. Since sunscreen is not effective for at least 15 minutes after application, that still leaves people with fair skin unprotected well into burning time.

Objective: To identify risk factors predictive of sunscreen use in children. Design: Cross-sectional review of convenience sample. Setting: Emergency department of a regional referral pediatric hospital. Subjects: Nine hundred twenty-five parents of children presenting to the emergency department in August 1993. Main Outcome Measures: Parental risk factors assessed were use of sunscreen, tanning behaviors, previous blistering sunburn, knowledge of cancer risk related to sunburn and sun protection factor definition, education level, and other health-promoting behaviors. The parents were asked about perceived risk for their child's being sunburned in the next month or development of skin cancer in their lifetime, as well as an estimation of safe sun exposure time for their child. Child risk factors included a history of previous painful sunburn and parental assessment of their child's skin type based on susceptibility to sunburn. Results: Eighty-four percent of parents reported that their children had used sunscreen at least once in the previous 2 months. The use of sunscreen in children younger than 1 year was 54%, from 1 to 12 years of age was 91%, and older than 12 years was 68%. Factors associated with increased likelihood of sunscreen use were age of 1 to 12 years, parental use of sunscreen, estimation of safe sun exposure of less than 30 minutes, description of child skin type as burns 'sometimes,' 'easily,' or 'always,' and correct definition of sun protection factor. Application of a multivariate model yielded a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 36%, and positive predictive value of sunscreen use of 89%. Conclusions: Sunscreen use in parents is predictive of use in their children and relates more to experience with sunburn than with concerns about future skin cancer risk. (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:804-807), Parents who use sunscreen are more likely to apply it to their children than parents who do not use sunscreen. In August, 1993, researchers surveyed 925 parents to study characteristics associated with sunscreen use in children. Eighty-four percent applied sunscreen to their children within the last two months. Parents who used sunscreen themselves were almost four times as likely to apply it to their children as other parents. Sunscreens were most often used on children between the ages of one and 12 and on those perceived to have fair skin. Parents who correctly defined sun protection factor and those who estimated safe sun exposure time as less than 30 minutes were most likely to apply sunscreen to their children. Seventy-four percent of parents would apply a sunscreen to their child if the expected sun exposure time exceeded 30 minutes.