Parents' use of sunscreen on beach-going children. The burnt child dreads the fire.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about why some parents elect to use sunscreen on their children while others do not. A survey was distributed to beach-going childrens' parents who used (n = 42) or did not use (n = 40) sunscreen on their children to determine differences between these two groups.


RESULTS
Parents who applied sunscreen to their children had children who previously had experienced significantly more painful sunburns (chi 2 = 6.40; df = 1; P less than .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Sunscreen use by beach-going children is motivated by parental attempts to prevent acute painful sunburn. Parental attitudes and behaviors about their childrens' sun exposure need modification if sun protection strategies are to reduce the future epidemic of skin cancer successfully. Sun protection education during well-child visits by pediatricians and family physicians is recommended.
Maducdoc
L R
LR
Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.
Wagner
R F
RF
Wagner
K D
KD
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010290:Parents; D013471:Sunburn / Q000517:prevention & control; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D013473:Sunscreening Agents