Evaluatıon of sunbathıng and protectıon awareness accordıng to thesocıodemographıc characterıstıcs of ındıvıduals aged above 65 years

Abstract

Introduction: Because excessive exposure to solar radiation contributes to the aging of skin and the risk of skin cancer, protection from sunlight has become an important public health problem. This study aims to assess the knowledge level of individuals aged > 65 years regarding sun exposure and their current use of sunscreen products.

Materials and Method: A questionnaire consisting of 22 questions was prepared to measure sun protection awareness and use of sunscreen products by individuals aged > 65 years. Between July and August 2017, the questionnaire was administered to 603 patients who presented to outpatient clinics. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software; a p-value of. < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: The average age of the 603 participants was 67.8 years; 202 (33.5%) of them stated that they generally remained in the sun for 4-6 h, and 518 (86.3%) indicated that they had not received any information about sun protection.

Conclusion: We found that individuals aged >= 65 years had insufficient knowledge of the dangers of excessive sun exposure and were not protected from it. In order to reduce the risk of skin cancer in Turkey, education regarding lifestyle modification, sun protection, and use of sunscreen should be provided and relevant health policies should be formulated for these trainings to become a part of lifestyle there.