Evaluation of habits, attitudes and awareness concerning sun exposure in adolescents

Abstract

In recent decades, the incidence of skin cancer has grown faster than that of any other malignant neoplasia. It is estimated that 80% of skin cancers could be prevented by reducing sun exposure, particularly at early ages of life. Teenagers form a population group that is at special risk of developing skin cancer later in life, mainly due to their habits of recreational sun exposure, the greater availability of leisure t ime, the high rates of sunburn experienced, a lack of parental control, changing values and, especially, the culture of body image and the importance given to a suntanned appearance. Accordingly, these young people are considered a priority group that should be targeted in prevention campaigns. To evaluate educational interventions and to conduct population studies in the fields of photoprotection and skin cancer prevention, validated questionnaires are needed. To achieve their purpose, such questionnaires must present accredited measurement properties, namely validity (the ability to measure the concept for which they are designed), reliability (the ability to obtain measurements without errors) and sensitivity to change (the ability to detect changes). Th e latter quality is essential if the questionnaire is to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention. The Beach Questionnaire is a Spanish-language document that is valid and reliable, but its sensitivity to change has yet to be assessed. One of the goals of our study was to examine adolescents’ behaviour, attitudes and knowledge with respect to sun exposure, both on the beach and during sports activities. In addition, we evaluated the sensitivity to change of a questionnaire on sun exposure for use in future interventions in the field of skin cancer prevention.