Abstract
Linked article:Souedi etal. Br J Dermatol 2022; 186:266-273. The sun is the main source of exposure people have to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Sun exposure has some health benefits but also some adverse effects (for example sunburn and skin cancer). Studies about the link between UVR exposure and long-term health outcomes have used a number of different ways to try and accurately measure how much UVR individuals have been exposed to. We set out to study how accurate three different ways of measuring exposure to UVR were over 6 months: (1) ambient UVR levels, (2) self-reported time spent outdoors, and (3) a statistical formula. The participants in this study were employees who worked either indoors or outdoors in Catalunya - Spain during the summer and winter months. Using a wristwatch with a dosimeter (a device made specifically to measure solar UVR levels) we measured each of the participants UVR levels daily during their working hours. Using a statistical formula, we calculated the daily dose of solar UVR each participant received by including their measured levels (from the dosimeter), the general ambient UVR levels of that day, and self-reported time spent outdoors. We then compared the results. Of our 39 participants, not surprisingly, we noted that the levels of UVR were higher for outdoor workers and during the summer. We discovered that the calculated levels and the self-reported time spent outdoors (methods 2 and 3) were more accurate than measuring general ambient UVR levels (method 1) alone. These results will be helpful to researchers who are deciding which are the best methods to use in future studies about the health effects of UVR exposure.
Published Version
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