134 Better photo-protection in patients with recent skin check does not prevent sunburn among adults with no history of skin cancer

Abstract

Patients coming in for skin checks are taking a positive step in early skin cancer identification. However, whether they adequately adopt primary skin cancer prevention methods (e.g., photo-protection) remains unclear. We aim to determine whether full-body skin check in the last year is associated with better sun-protective practices and sunburn prevention. We used data from US non-Hispanic whites aged 18-75 (529 with and 13,144 without previous skin cancer) from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey to compute adjusted prevalence odds ratios (aPOR) of sun-protective practices associated with skin check, taking into account the complex survey design and adjusting for age, gender, region, sun sensitivity, family history of skin cancer, education, outdoor occupation, and physical activity. Individuals reporting recent skin check (compared to individuals not reporting recent skin check) were more likely to engage in multimodal photo-protection both among subjects with previous skin cancer (aPOR=1.8; 95% CI=1.1-3.1) and among subjects without previous skin cancer (aPOR=1.5; 95% CI=1.2-1.8; P-interaction=0.6). Among subjects with previous skin cancer, recent skin check was associated with decreased odds of recent sunburn (aPOR=0.6; 0.3-0.95); however, among subjects without previous skin cancer, recent skin check was not associated with a reduction in recent sunburn (aPOR=1.0; 0.9-1.2; P-interaction=0.04). Association with sunburn among subjects without previous skin cancer was not different by sun-protective practices, reason for skin check, or self-perceived risk of cancer. Better sun-protective practices observed in subjects with recent skin check may not necessarily translate into better sunburn prevention, unless subjects have also had previous skin cancer. Health care providers should not assume adequate sun protection among patients coming in for skin checks; rather, providers should use all visits as a chance to reinforce sunburn prevention and the role of UV exposure in skin cancer and skin aging/photodamage.