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To assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the health effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and sun exposure among medical university students in Northeast China, 385 subjects were investigated on October 2013 using a self-administered multiple-choice questionnaire. Most of the subjects knew the effects of UVR on skin cancer (95.6%) and sunburn (92.2%), but fewer knew of the eye damage that can result from UVR (27.8% cataract and 3.1% pterygium). Correspondingly, the main purpose of adopting sun protection was considered to be ‘preventing sunburn’ (55.4%), but ‘preventing eye damage’ was the least (1.8%). In actual behaviour, the eyes received the least protection as well. Although knowing the effects of UVR on vitamin D synthesis (87.3%), 66.8% of participants never or seldom increased sun exposure. Compared to men, women were more likely to reduce sun exposure ( P < 0.001). Only a small fraction of subjects (6.6%) thought that tanning was attractive. Considering the response variability to UVR in people with different skin colours, different sun protection programs should be provided. In China, especially in the North, the public should be educated to moderately increase sun exposure to maintain adequate vitamin D status while also protecting against eye damage from UVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: This work explores the diurnal variation of Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and total solar radiation (TSR) in northeast China, using daily observations of UVR and TSR in Shenyang. Methods: UVR and TSR measurements were carried out from March 1st, 2006 to December 31st, 2009 in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China (41°51′ N, 123°27′ E). Results: Both TSR and UVR showed seasonal variation, reaching the highest levels in summer and the lowest in winter. They showed the greatest fluctuation in summer and autumn. The irradiance of TSR and UVR on clear days around the equinoxes and solstices increased substantially compared with the mean seasonal irradiance, especially in autumn. The whole day accumulated dose of UVR in winter was far less than that during the middle part of a summer day (i.e. between 10:00 and 14:00). It was also less than the accumulated summer dose of morning and afternoon (i.e. between 8:00 and 10:00 and 14:00 and 16:00). Conclusion: The instant irradiance and daily accumulated amount of UVR are low in Shenyang, especially in autumn and winter. Thus concern about the health effects arising because shortage of UVR in northeast China is warranted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]