A survey of recreational sun exposure of residents of San Diego, California.

The incidence of skin cancer in San Diego is one of the highest in the nation. Research has documented that excessive unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation over time significantly increases a person's risk for developing various types of skin cancer. Our study investigated the amount of sun exposure and the practice of sun protection among San Diegans and examined factors thought to be associated with these behaviors. In April 1994, a random sample of 864 San Diego residents was surveyed by telephone. Because most survey questions specifically asked about sun exposure and sun protection when tanning versus recreating, the analyses were presented separately for recreators (i.e., those who spent time in the sun during the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm for recreation last summer; n = 786) and tanners (i.e., those who spent at least 10% of their time in the sun to get a tan last summer; n = 464), a subset of recreators. Study results indicated that on average, 27% of the tanners' time in the sun last summer was spent getting a tan, and tanners reported using sunscreen about 50% of the time on both their face and body. In terms of sun protection while recreating, survey respondents reported using sunscreen on their face approximately 40% of the time compared to approximately 30% of the time on their body. Correlates of sun exposure and sun protection for both tanners and recreators included demographic characteristics, susceptibility factors, attitudes, and knowledge. The findings from this study support the need for education on skin cancer prevention. The practical implications of these findings are discussed in terms of appropriate community skin cancer prevention interventions. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH): skin cancer, sunlight, behavior.