Abstract
The Sun Exposure and Protection Index (SEPI) is a brief instrument for scoring of sun exposure habits and propensity to increase sun protection, previously validated in English and in Swedish, as well as in two different outdoor sun intensity environments (Australia and Northern Europe). The aim of the present study was to study reliability and validity of a German translated version of the SEPI to be used in German-speaking populations. Data was collected at University of Flensburg and at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences from November 2018 to April 2019. Participants (n = 205) filled out the SEPI and also a selection of corresponding questions from the Austrian Vienna UV Questionnaire in German. After three weeks, the participants filled out the SEPI once again in order to assess test–retest stability. Of the 205 participants completing the baseline questionnaire, 135 participants completed it once again after three weeks. Internal consistency, by Cronbach’s alpha, for the baseline responses was 0.70 (95% C.I: 0.63–0.76) for SEPI part 1 (sun exposure habits) and 0.72 (95% C.I: 0.66–0.78) for part 2 (propensity to increase sun protection). Test–retest stability was high, with weighted Kappa >0.6 for all items but one, and the instrument correlated well with the previously validated German-language UV Skin Risk Survey Questionnaire. In conclusion, the German version of SEPI can reliably be used for mapping of individual sun exposure patterns.
Highlights
The different forms of skin cancer are the most common malignant tumour entities [1,2], with a clear majority of cases occurring in Caucasian populations worldwide [3]
SPSS 26.0 software was used (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). The questionnaire containing both Sun Exposure and Protection Index (SEPI) and the corresponding relevant question items from the UVSRS questionnaire was completed by 205 students
135 participants responded to the follow-up questionnaire, for which, 22 had provided an identity coding not matching any of those from the corresponding first response occasion, disabling test–retest comparison for these individuals
Summary
The different forms of skin cancer are the most common malignant tumour entities [1,2], with a clear majority of cases occurring in Caucasian populations worldwide [3]. Rarely lethal, but on the other hand considerably more common and frequently occurring on the head and face, keratinocytic skin cancers are associated with voluminous patient suffering and healthcare costs due to necessary surgical and cosmetic interventions [1]. Skin cancer is often referred to as highly preventable, as primary preventive measures can be directed at promoting accurate sun protection to individuals, or groups of individuals, with the highest risk due to phenotypic, environmental, and
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