Sun Protection Used by Cyclists in Southern Brazil

Cycling is a practice that is increasing globally. However, there is a paucity of studies regarding sun protection usage among cyclists.

The present study uses a cross-sectional design. An online survey was conducted using the Google Forms platform, and a self-administered form was used to gather the participant's sociodemographic details, sporting practices, and sun protection usage habits. The full questionnaire file can be found as Supporting Information. Descriptive statistics were analyzed using Microsoft Excel, and the chi-square test of independence was performed to determine the association between the variables using a contingency table.

The study sample comprised 379 cyclists, predominantly men (69.7%), and most cyclists were observed to be using some type of cycling-related application (81.3%). Approximately 67.3% of the cyclists used sunscreen. The sunscreen was applied once a day (45.4%), and the usage of sunscreen was lower in men (58%) and those with higher phototypes (69.2%). Furthermore, using long-sleeved shirts and sunglasses while cycling was 49.3% and 75.5% of the participants, respectively. Among the participants who did not use sun protection, 35% cycled for over 7 h a week.

The results indicate that cyclists must be encouraged to use sun protection, especially men and athletes with higher phototypes. Such use could be optimized in this population, associating the technologies related to the practice of cycling with health promotion.