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Predictors of Sunscreen Use in Childhood

Predictors of Sunscreen Use in Childhood Abstract Objective: To identify risk factors predictive of sunscreen use in children. Design: Cross-sectional review of convenience sample. Setting: Emergency department of a regional referral pediatric hospital. Subjects: Nine hundred twenty-five parents of children presenting to the emergency department in August 1993. Main Outcome Measures: Parental risk factors assessed were use of sunscreen, tanning behaviors, previous blistering sunburn, knowledge of cancer risk related to sunburn and sun protection factor definition, education level, and other health-promoting behaviors. The parents were asked about perceived risk for their child's being sunburned in the next month or development of skin cancer in their lifetime, as well as an estimation of safe sun exposure time for their child. Child risk factors included a history of previous painful sunburn and parental assessment of their child's skin type based on susceptibility to sunburn. Results: Eighty-four percent of parents reported that their children had used sunscreen at least once in the previous 2 months. The use of sunscreen in children younger than 1 year was 54%, from 1 to 12 years of age was 91%, and older than 12 years was 68%. Factors associated with increased likelihood of sunscreen use were age of 1 to 12 years, parental use of sunscreen, estimation of safe sun exposure of less than 30 minutes, description of child skin type as burns "sometimes," "easily," or "always," and correct definition of sun protection factor. Application of a multivariate model yielded a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 36%, and positive predictive value of sunscreen use of 89%. Conclusions: Sunscreen use in parents is predictive of use in their children and relates more to experience with sunburn than with concerns about future skin cancer risk.(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:804-807) References 1. Weinstock MA, Colditz GA, Willett WC, et al. Nonfamilial cutaneous melanoma incidence in women associated with sun exposure before 20 years of age . Pediatrics . 1989;84:199-204. 2. Harrison SL, MacLennan R, Speare R, Wronski I. Sun exposure and melanocytic naevi in young Australian children . Lancet . 1994;344:1529-1532.Crossref 3. Holly EA, Kelly JW, Chiu S. Number of melanocytic nevi as a major risk factor for malignant melanoma . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1987;17:460-468.Crossref 4. Stern RS, Weinstein MC, Baker SG. Risk reduction for nonmelanoma skin cancer with childhood sunscreen use . Arch Dermatol . 1986;122:537-545.Crossref 5. Jarrett P, Sharp C, McLelland J. Protection of children by their mothers against sunburn . BMJ . 1992;306:1448.Crossref 6. McGee R, Williams S. Adolescence and sun protection . N Z Med J . 1992:105: 401-403. 7. Mawn VB, Fleisher AB Jr. A survey of attitudes, beliefs, and behavior regarding tanning bed use, sunbathing, and sunscreen use . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1993;29:959-962.Crossref 8. Maducdoc LR, Wagner RF, Wagner KD. Parents' use of sunscreen on beach-going children: the burnt child dreads the fire . Arch Dermatol . 1992;128:628-629.Crossref 9. Lickert R. A technique for the measurement of attitudes . Arch Psychol . 1932; 140:1-55. 10. Fitzpatrick TB. The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI . Arch Dermatol . 1988;124:869-871.Crossref 11. Dean AD, Dean JA, Burton AH, Dicker RC. Epi Info, Version 5.0: A Word Processing Database and Statistics Program for Epidemiology on Microcomputers . Stone Mountain, Ga: USD Inc; 1990. 12. Steinberg D, Colla P. LOGIT: A Supplementary Module for SYSTAT . Evanston, III: SYSTAT Inc; 1991. 13. Cockburn J, Hennrikus D, Scott R, Sanson-Fisher R. Adolescent use of sun protection measures . Med J Aust . 1989;151:136-140. 14. Fritschi L, Green A, Solomon PJ. Sun exposure in Australian adolescents . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1992;27:25-28.Crossref 15. Banks BA, Silverman RA, Schwartz RH, Tunnessen WW. Attitudes of teenagers toward sun exposure and sunscreen use . Pediatrics . 1992;89:40-42. 16. Hughes BR, Altman DG, Newton JA. Melanoma and skin cancer: evaluation of a health education programme for secondary schools . Br J Dermatol . 1993; 128:412-417.Crossref 17. Berwick M, Fine JA, Bolognia JL. Sun exposure and sunscreen use following a community skin cancer screening . Prev Med . 1992;21:302-310.Crossref http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine American Medical Association

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References (17)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
1072-4710
eISSN
1538-3628
DOI
10.1001/archpedi.1995.02170200094015
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To identify risk factors predictive of sunscreen use in children. Design: Cross-sectional review of convenience sample. Setting: Emergency department of a regional referral pediatric hospital. Subjects: Nine hundred twenty-five parents of children presenting to the emergency department in August 1993. Main Outcome Measures: Parental risk factors assessed were use of sunscreen, tanning behaviors, previous blistering sunburn, knowledge of cancer risk related to sunburn and sun protection factor definition, education level, and other health-promoting behaviors. The parents were asked about perceived risk for their child's being sunburned in the next month or development of skin cancer in their lifetime, as well as an estimation of safe sun exposure time for their child. Child risk factors included a history of previous painful sunburn and parental assessment of their child's skin type based on susceptibility to sunburn. Results: Eighty-four percent of parents reported that their children had used sunscreen at least once in the previous 2 months. The use of sunscreen in children younger than 1 year was 54%, from 1 to 12 years of age was 91%, and older than 12 years was 68%. Factors associated with increased likelihood of sunscreen use were age of 1 to 12 years, parental use of sunscreen, estimation of safe sun exposure of less than 30 minutes, description of child skin type as burns "sometimes," "easily," or "always," and correct definition of sun protection factor. Application of a multivariate model yielded a sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 36%, and positive predictive value of sunscreen use of 89%. Conclusions: Sunscreen use in parents is predictive of use in their children and relates more to experience with sunburn than with concerns about future skin cancer risk.(Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995;149:804-807) References 1. Weinstock MA, Colditz GA, Willett WC, et al. Nonfamilial cutaneous melanoma incidence in women associated with sun exposure before 20 years of age . Pediatrics . 1989;84:199-204. 2. Harrison SL, MacLennan R, Speare R, Wronski I. Sun exposure and melanocytic naevi in young Australian children . Lancet . 1994;344:1529-1532.Crossref 3. Holly EA, Kelly JW, Chiu S. Number of melanocytic nevi as a major risk factor for malignant melanoma . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1987;17:460-468.Crossref 4. Stern RS, Weinstein MC, Baker SG. Risk reduction for nonmelanoma skin cancer with childhood sunscreen use . Arch Dermatol . 1986;122:537-545.Crossref 5. Jarrett P, Sharp C, McLelland J. Protection of children by their mothers against sunburn . BMJ . 1992;306:1448.Crossref 6. McGee R, Williams S. Adolescence and sun protection . N Z Med J . 1992:105: 401-403. 7. Mawn VB, Fleisher AB Jr. A survey of attitudes, beliefs, and behavior regarding tanning bed use, sunbathing, and sunscreen use . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1993;29:959-962.Crossref 8. Maducdoc LR, Wagner RF, Wagner KD. Parents' use of sunscreen on beach-going children: the burnt child dreads the fire . Arch Dermatol . 1992;128:628-629.Crossref 9. Lickert R. A technique for the measurement of attitudes . Arch Psychol . 1932; 140:1-55. 10. Fitzpatrick TB. The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI . Arch Dermatol . 1988;124:869-871.Crossref 11. Dean AD, Dean JA, Burton AH, Dicker RC. Epi Info, Version 5.0: A Word Processing Database and Statistics Program for Epidemiology on Microcomputers . Stone Mountain, Ga: USD Inc; 1990. 12. Steinberg D, Colla P. LOGIT: A Supplementary Module for SYSTAT . Evanston, III: SYSTAT Inc; 1991. 13. Cockburn J, Hennrikus D, Scott R, Sanson-Fisher R. Adolescent use of sun protection measures . Med J Aust . 1989;151:136-140. 14. Fritschi L, Green A, Solomon PJ. Sun exposure in Australian adolescents . J Am Acad Dermatol . 1992;27:25-28.Crossref 15. Banks BA, Silverman RA, Schwartz RH, Tunnessen WW. Attitudes of teenagers toward sun exposure and sunscreen use . Pediatrics . 1992;89:40-42. 16. Hughes BR, Altman DG, Newton JA. Melanoma and skin cancer: evaluation of a health education programme for secondary schools . Br J Dermatol . 1993; 128:412-417.Crossref 17. Berwick M, Fine JA, Bolognia JL. Sun exposure and sunscreen use following a community skin cancer screening . Prev Med . 1992;21:302-310.Crossref

Journal

Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent MedicineAmerican Medical Association

Published: Jul 1, 1995

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