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Sun protection behaviors and stages of change for the primary prevention of skin cancers among beachgoers in Southeastern New England

  • Empirical Articles
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Sun exposure is the most important avoidable cause of skin cancers. We report characteristics of a representative sample (N=2,324) of beachgoers in Southeastern New England during the summer of 1995. This sample was not employing adequate sun protection behaviors (83% did not often avoid the sun during midday and only 45% often used sunscreen). Important demographic and skin cancer risk factor differences in sun protective behaviors and stages of change for sun protection were found, especially differences based on age, gender, and degree of sun sensitivity. Consistent with previous research, increased age, female gender, and greater sun sensitivity were each independently associated with more sun protective behaviors. These findings underscore the need for interventions targeting high-risk populations, such as those receiving high-intensity sun exposures at the beach.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University, Providence, USA

    Martin A. Weinstock

  2. University of Rhode Island, Kingston, USA

    Joseph S. Rossi, Colleen A. Redding, Jason E. Maddock & Sara D. Cottrill

Authors
  1. Martin A. Weinstock
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  2. Joseph S. Rossi
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  3. Colleen A. Redding
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  4. Jason E. Maddock
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  5. Sara D. Cottrill
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Additional information

Preparation of this manuscript was supported in part by a grant from the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders (#RO1 AR43051), including a supplement from the Office of Womens’ Health.

Some aspects of this paper have been presented at the Fourth International Congress of Behavioral Medicine in Washington, DC, the Fourth World Congress on Melanoma sponsored by the World Health Organization in Sydney, Australia, and the Second International Meeting on Epidemiology and Prevention of Skin Diseases: The European Dermato-Epidemiology Network Congress in Bamberg, Germany.

We thank all the participants and beach interviewers who made this work possible and Margaret Boyle, Dorie Lawson, and Heidi Recksiek for assistance in conducting this study.

Jason E. Maddock, Ph.D., is now at the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii at the University of Hawaii.

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Weinstock, M.A., Rossi, J.S., Redding, C.A. et al. Sun protection behaviors and stages of change for the primary prevention of skin cancers among beachgoers in Southeastern New England. Ann Behav Med 22, 286–293 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02895664

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02895664

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