Assessing factors affecting sunscreen use and barriers to compliance: a cross-sectional survey-based study

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Public Health
• Skin Cancer Prevention

Background:

• Sunscreen is crucial for skin cancer prevention, but public use and compliance remain low.
• Understanding barriers to sunscreen use is vital for increasing adoption, particularly in high-risk groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify personal and socioeconomic barriers affecting sunscreen use among dermatology patients.
• To explore the impact of dermatologist recommendations on patient sunscreen compliance.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 429 patients at a single dermatology clinic.
• Data collected focused on patient-reported barriers to consistent sunscreen application.

Main Results:

• Personal barriers included dislike of sunscreen's feel or appearance (33.7%) and time constraints (15.3%).
• Cost emerged as a significant barrier for 16.4% of patients.
• Dermatologist recommendation of sunscreen was strongly associated with increased usage (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• Addressing patient concerns about sunscreen feel, appearance, and cost is essential.
• Dermatologists play a critical role in promoting sunscreen use through direct recommendation and counseling.
• Integrating cost-effective sun protection advice into dermatological practice can improve compliance.