title: Self-reported skin cancer protection strategies and location of skin cancer in retired cricketers: a case study from membership of the Emu Cricket Club.
abstract: Cricket is one of Australia's most popular sports with approximately 470,000 registered participants. Played as a summer sport, participants can spend long periods in the sun with potential skin damage a possible contributor to skin cancer. Three hundred and sixty-eight retired regional representative players received and were invited to complete a comprehensive survey that included questions relating to their individual playing history, injury rate, sun protection strategies and reported location of skin cancer. A total of 164 players (mean age 45.2+/-12.1 years) responded to the survey representing a response rate of 44.6%. Of these, 61.6% reported no diagnosis of skin cancer. However, 38.4% had been diagnosed with at least one skin cancer with the most common site being the face followed by the arms. Of those respondents reporting the diagnosis of a skin cancer, 7.9% had skin cancer on 4 or more separate locations. Proportionally, the 45-55 years group had the highest incidence, with 55.8% of this group indicating they had a skin cancer in at least one anatomical location. By comparison those in the under 35 years age group reported an incidence rate of 16.7%. The incidence of skin cancer among respondents (n=63) reporting either, occasionally, very rarely or never wearing sunscreen, a hat or long sleeved shirt was (n=27) 42.9, (n=14) 22.2 and (n=39) 61.9%, respectively. The results suggest that skin protection strategies, such as wearing a wide brimmed hat, long sleeved shirt and the use of sunscreen, may help to reduce the risk of skin cancer in cricketers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management, School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia.
authors.forename: Janelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Noble-Jerks
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Weatherby
authors.forename: Rudi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meir
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003020:Clothing; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012179:Retirement; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013177:Sports; D013473:Sunscreening Agents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents