Gendered Differences in Sun Protection Behaviour in Australia: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Men are at higher risk than women for developing and dying from skin cancer in Australia. SunSmart, a subdivision of the Cancer Council, is the main promoter of sun protection messaging in Australia and, in 2021, began targeting men with the ‘Save Your Skin’ campaign. This campaign has not yet been assessed for effectiveness, and research into motivations for sun protection behaviour in Australian men is lacking. The aim of this scoping review is to examine the gendered differences in sun protection behaviours, motivations and barriers in Australia, alongside biological contributors to sex differences in melanoma, and to map the available evidence to identify gaps in current research and areas where targeted sun protection campaigns may be beneficial. Ovid MEDLINE, Embase and Google Scholar databases were initially searched in 2023 and updated in 2026 to identify Australian literature published after 1981 examining gender differences in sun protection behaviours, attitudes, motivations and barriers. The 2026 review was expanded to include international literature on biological contributors to sex differences in melanoma. Australian studies consistently demonstrated poorer sun protection behaviours by Australian men, who generally demonstrated poorer skin cancer knowledge, lower perceived vulnerability to skin cancer and less engagement with sun protection than women across multiple different age groups and social demographics. However, intentional tanning was more prevalent among young women, who also have a higher incidence of melanoma than men at younger ages. The disproportionate melanoma burden among Australian men is likely multifactorial, reflecting gender differences in sun protection behaviours, knowledge and motivations alongside possible biological contributors. Targeted SunSmart campaigns represent an important prevention strategy, and future research should evaluate whether recently introduced male‐targeted campaigns improve behaviours, knowledge and melanoma outcomes. Ultimately, preventing melanoma deaths in Australian men is one important step towards closing the persistent gap in life expectancy between Australian men and women.