Sunscreen use and availability among female collegiate athletes

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Dermatology
• Public Health

Background:

• Over 250,000 athletes participate in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) sports annually.
• Most outdoor NCAA athletes do not use sunscreen daily.
• Limited sunscreen availability is a primary barrier to use among collegiate athletes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of sunscreen availability on application rates.
• To address sun-protective behaviors in outdoor collegiate athletes.

Main Methods:

• 83 NCAA Division IA female golfers were randomized into treatment and control groups.
• The treatment group had access to study-provided sunscreen in their golf bags and locker rooms.
• Surveys were administered at the beginning and end of a 4-week study period.

Main Results:

• Sunscreen use increased significantly in the treatment group compared to the control group (P = .01).
• Readily available sunscreen led to an average of 1.13 more days of use per week (P = .008).
• Sunscreen reapplication during competition increased by nearly 20% in the treatment group (P = .10).

Conclusions:

• Increased sunscreen accessibility significantly improved application among athletes.
• Findings suggest a key strategy for enhancing sun protection in collegiate athletes.
• Further research should include larger, diverse populations of male and female athletes.