Evaluation of the knowledge, attitudes and practices about sun exposure and sunscreen usage in outpatients attending a dermatology clinic in North India

Background: Multiple studies are available from West, regarding knowledge, attitude and practices related to sun exposure and usage of sun protective measures, however there is a paucity of such studies in Asian population. India being a tropical country, receives abundant sunlight and Indians are chronically sun exposed. So, we planned to assess the knowledge and awareness about sun protective measures in patients from North India. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using specially designed questionnaires was carried out. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used wherever appropriate. Results: A total of 500 patients were included, with majority being females. The mean age was 48.41 years and Fitzpatrick skin type V (60.4%) was the most commonly observed. 68.2% respondents reported daily sun exposure while 31.8% had reported occasional sun exposure. 34.6% had less than 1 hour of exposure, 20.8% had exposure of 1-3 hours and 44.6% had sun exposure more than 3 hours per day. 88% patients were aware of the harmful effects of sunlight. 74% respondents were aware of the benefits of sunscreen but only 26% were using them. Only 6% of those who were using sunscreen, were using sufficient amount and only 4% were reapplying. Most common reason for not wearing sunscreen was lack of awareness (44%). The most common source for information in our participants was social media and television. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the knowledge and practice of usage of sunscreen was sub optimal, suggesting the need of awareness programs and targeted interventions to fill this gap.