Sun exposure and challenges of sun protection in adolescents and young adults: A prevalence observational study

The present study aimed to explore the adherence to and efficiency of skin protection measures among teenagers and young adults. The present study investigated the reasons for sun exposure and the obstacles impeding sun protection. In the summer of 2023, a self-reported questionnaire was posted on the social media account of two high schools, a university, some industrial companies and among the teenage children of a dermatology clinic. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the reasons for sun exposure behavior, sun protection measures and the frequency of sunburn among individuals aged 15 to 25 year. A total of 517 young individuals completed the questionnaire. It was found that 43.5% use a hat as a means of sun protection, and only 10% try to limit their exposure to the sun. Nevertheless, 78.7% indicate the use of sun cream, 61.7% expose themselves frequently or very frequently to the sun, and 51.2% exposed themselves to the sun for tanning. Young females were statistically more prone to tan [odds ratio (OR), 2.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.95-4.46] P=0.03 than males. Males exposed themselves to a 3-fold greater extent during recreational activities (OR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.56-5.69) P=0,025, compared to females. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that young individuals aged 15 to 25 years are exposing themselves too frequently to the sun. A large proportion of individuals still wishes to acquire a tan. Even if the large majority of individuals uses sunscreen, the majority of these do not protect themselves correctly since they report becoming sunburnt frequently.