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Objective: To describe the prevalence of sun exposure and protective behaviours during leisure time among Canadian adults 25 years of age or more., Design: A random-digit-dialling telephone household survey of 4023 people 15 years of age or more was completed; 3449 adults 25 years of age or more responded to questions about sun exposure and protective behaviours from June to August 1996., Results: Many of the adults (51%) reported getting 30 minutes to 2 hours of daily sun exposure, and 26% reported getting more than 2 hours. Half (50%) reported having one or more sunburns during the study period; 21% said they actively spent time suntanning. Less than half reported taking adequate protective actions. Women, light-complexioned and adults 65 years or more were more likely than men, medium- or dark-complexioned adults and adults in younger groups to protect themselves. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the adults said they forgot to take protective actions, 47% felt it was inconvenient to do so, and 29% were not concerned about sun exposure., Discussion: Canadian adults, especially younger men, are exposed to significant amounts of sun during summer leisure time, but they do not always protect themselves adequately. Interventions should emphasize and facilitate convenient, effective sun protection strategies.

This article describes the methods used for the 1996 Canadian National Survey on Sun Exposure & Protective Behaviours. A 55-item random-digit-dialling telephone household survey of people 15 years of age or more was completed in 1996. Items assessed were daily sun exposure and protective behaviours, as well as other sun-related behaviours and attitudes. Data were collected regarding sun-related behaviours during leisure, work time and winter holidays, as well as for children 12 years of age or less (as reported by parents). To test for an effect on the survey response rate, a letter of introduction was sent to 40% of the households. The survey response rate was 69% (4023 successfully completed surveys out of 5847 households included in the sample). The response rate achieved in the subset that received the introductory letter was 75%. This survey is the first to establish national population estimates for sun exposure and protective behaviours in Canada.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of sun exposure and protective behaviours during leisure time among Canadian youth 15 to 24 years of age., Design: A random-digit-dialling telephone household survey of 4023 people 15 years of age or more was completed in 1996; 574 youth responded to questions about their sun exposure and protective behaviours from June to August 1996., Results: Half of the youth (51%) reported 30 minutes to 2 hours of daily sun exposure, and 36% reported more than 2 hours. A large proportion (68%) reported sunburns. The prevalence of sun protective actions ranged from 38% for wearing a hat to 26% for both seeking shade and avoiding the sun between 11 am and 4 pm. There were sex differences in sun-related behaviours among youth., Discussion: The large proportion of Canadian youth who reported sun exposure and the small proportion who reported taking protective actions suggest the need for primary prevention. Interventions should address sex differences and focus on multiple methods of protection.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of sun exposure and protective behaviours among Canadian children 12 years of age or less, as reported by their parents., Design: A random-digit-dialling telephone household survey of 4023 people 15 years of age or more was completed in 1996; 1051 parents responded to questions about their children's sun-related behaviours from June to August 1996., Results: Most children (89%) had 30 minutes or more of daily sun exposure, and many of them (45%) had sunburns. The prevalence of sun protective actions ranged from 36% for avoiding the sun to 76% for using sunscreen. Parental reports on sun protection for children 5 years of age or less differed significantly from reports for children 6 to 12 years old., Discussion: High levels of sun exposure among Canadian children suggests the need for protection. Use of multiple methods of sun protection should be emphasized to parents, school personnel, recreation staff and child-care workers.