Sun Protection and Skin Examination Practices in a Setting of High Ambient Solar Radiation: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

Abstract

Primary prevention and early detection are integral strategies to reduce the burden of skin cancer. To describe the prevalence of sun protection and skin examination practices in a population exposed to high levels of ambient solar radiation and to identify associated factors. Cross-sectional analyses of baseline data from a prospective cohort of 40,172 adults aged 40 through 69 years from Queensland, Australia, recruited in 2011. We obtained data on all melanoma diagnoses through 2009 via record linkage with the Queensland Cancer Registry (notifications have been mandatory since 1982). We calculated prevalence proportion ratios to compare prevalence of sun protection and skin examination practices in 3 separate groups: those with a history of melanoma (group 1), those with a self-reported history of treated actinic lesions (group 2), and those without either (group 3). We used multivariate generalized linear models to identify factors associated with each practice. Participants with a previously confirmed melanoma (group 1; n = 1433) and/or treated actinic lesions (group 2; n = 24,006) were more likely than those without (group 3; n = 14,733) to report sun protection practices, including regular use of sunscreen (53.3%, 45.1%, and 38.1%, respectively) and wearing hats (74.7%, 68.2%, and 58.2%, respectively). They were also more likely to have had a whole-body skin examination by a physician in the past 3 years (93.7%, 83.4%, and 52.1%, respectively). Within all 3 groups, the strongest association with sun protection practices was with sun-sensitive skin type. Within group 3 (no history of treated skin lesions), the strongest factor associated with clinical skin examinations was self-reported nevus density at 21 years of age, whereas a family history of melanoma was a significant factor in groups 2 and 3. In this large sample exposed to high levels of ambient solar radiation, sun protection and skin examination practices were most frequent among those with a history of treated skin lesions or sun-sensitive skin types.