Awareness and Practices Towards Sun Exposure and Use of Sun Protection Among the General Population in Ajman, UAE: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: The awareness and practices towards sun exposure and the use of sunscreen on skin health are overlooked. We assessed their association with skin health, with the attitude towards sun exposure and the use of sunscreen on skin health. Likewise, we determined the association between awareness and practices and between awareness and attitude toward sun exposure. Methods: A cross-sectional study, of 384 eligible adults, was conducted in Thumbay Medicity, Ajman, UAE. Interviewers administered questionnaires to willing participants during the months of January 2022 to December 2022. Results were calculated using the chi-square method to establish associations between variables. P values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Gender, nationality, marital status, and employment were found to be significant in relation to the level of knowledge. An association between practices and knowledge revealed participants who always use sunscreen (72.9%) had the most adequate knowledge. Moreover, participants who reapplied sunscreen had more adequate knowledge (75.4%) compared to participants who did not reapply sunscreen (53.4%). Association between practices and attitude revealed that participants who often use sunscreen had the most positive attitude (63.5%) as well as participants who never used sunscreen had the most negative attitude (78.9%). Concerning attitude and sociodemographics, gender, nationality, and knowledge were found significant in regards to positive attitudes towards sun protection. Conclusions: Despite having a fair amount of awareness about sun protection and the harmful effects of the sun on the skin, our study revealed that the community of Ajman, UAE had a predominantly negative attitude and used sun protection at a low rate. This makes a health public awareness campaign crucial.