Sun protection during active travel on foot or by (e-)bike: an exploratory nationwide cross-sectional study from Germany

Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the primary environmental risk factor for skin cancer. Consistent sun protection is therefore recommended for prevention. We examined the extent to which people protect themselves (and accompanied children) from the sun during active travel for transport reasons.

We used data from the wave 2025 of the National Cancer Aid Monitoring online (NCAM-online), a nationwide online survey in Germany. For our analysis with focus on walking/cycling for transport, 3,264 individuals were included. We stratified our analysis by reason for traveling and analyzed sun protection in the subgroup of participants who actively traveled with children.

The most common sun-protection measures were wearing a shirt with sleeves covering the shoulders (52.1%), wearing sunglasses (46.8%), and traveling in the shade (38.5%). Sunscreen and headwear were used less frequently. When children were accompanied, they were more likely to be protected than the accompanying adult. Under perceived increased UV conditions, 42.8% opted not to walk or cycle.

Although our findings indicate that children with their more UV-vulnerable skin are more likely to be protected and that some participants forgo active travel under increased UV conditions, sun-protection practices during active travel leave room for improvement. Both individual-level education and structural measures in urban planning (e.g., increasing shade provision) appear warranted.