Knowledge and attitudes to sun exposure among adolescents in Korinthos, Greece

Extended sun exposure may lead to serious health problems, and evidence of this is in the increase in skin cancer and malignant melanoma worldwide. Extended sun exposure during childhood or adolescence increases the probability of skin cancer in adulthood. The aim of the study was to identify and examine the knowledge, attitude, behaviour and beliefs of Greek adolescents (high school students) related to sun exposure and its adverse effects on health. The majority of participants (89.7%) were of Greek nationality.

The study took place in 5 schools in the prefecture of Korinthos, and 816 of the total 925 students aged 15-18 years participated. The questionnaire was pilot tested and assessed for validity and reliability, both of which were adequate (Cronbach's alpha = 0.70 and r(s) = 0.78); SPSS 13.0 software was used for analysis.

Only 37.9% of participants knew that melanoma was a type of skin cancer; 50% said they did not know what melanoma was. Regarding behavior, 35.5% reported that during the last summer they went to the beach on 20 to 50 occasions, and only 50% reported that they wore a sunhat or stayed in the shade. The frequency of sunscreen use was alarmingly low, with the majority of the adolescents unfamiliar with its proper use, and 50% not using a sunscreen with sufficient sun protection factor. Television was an important source of information about protection from sun exposure, while the family was the most important provider of advice.

Participants' knowledge of sun exposure was insufficient and they reported risky behaviours in the summer months. Despite health promotion and community education programs focusing on sun smart strategies, these young people still associated suntans with beauty. Health promotion and education programs need to challenge such beliefs. However, as a sole approach to health promotion, teaching protective measures and appropriate ways for youth to protect themselves against the harmful effects of sunbathing may be insufficient to reduce the epidemic of skin cancer.