Mothers’ Attitudes Toward Sun Protection for Children Aged 3-6 Years

Objective: Reducing ultraviolet radiation exposure is important for preventing skin cancer. Parents’ behaviors can reduce the risk of their children developing skin cancer in the future. In this study we evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of mothers with children aged 3-6 years regarding sun protection behaviors. Methods: The study was conducted at the Family Medicine outpatient clinics of Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital in Turkey. A data form with 20 questions was administered to the participants which assesses demographic data, attitudes toward sun protection, sources of sun-related information, and knowledge about sunscreen. A p-value<0.05 was considered significant. Results: The study included 278 participants with a mean age of 33.05 years. Of them, 61.2% (n: 170) had at least a high school education, 30.2% (n: 84) were white-collar workers, and 12.6% (n: 35) were blue-collar workers. While 87.2% (n: 242) reported taking sun protection measures, 60.4% (n: 168) used sunscreen for their children. The most common method was wearing a hat (82.7%, n: 230). The mean knowledge score was 10.14 ± 3.92 (min: 0, max: 18), No one could give correct answers to the questions. The most frequently incorrect item was “sunscreen should only be used in summer.” Most mothers’ source of information were healthcare professionals (%71, n: 199). Mothers who had more than one child, had higher education, and were white-collar workers had higher scores (p< 0.05). Sunscreen users had higher knowledge scores than non-users (p< 0.05). Conclusions: While most mothers reported taking sun protection measures, their knowledge was insufficient. Healthcare professionals, as a key source of information for mothers, should be more educating them during the routine follow-ups.