title: How to improve adolescents' sun protection behavior? Age and gender issues.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore adolescents' self-reported reasons for sun protection, as adolescents as a group continue to have poor sun protection practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen age- and gender-segregated focus groups were conducted in Australian high schools.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reasons for using sun protection included personal comfort, appearance, policies, fear of skin cancer, expectations of authority figures, peer actions, and habit. Reasons for not using sun protection included desire for a tan, inconvenience, low perceived risk, and fashion. Age and gender effects were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Avenues for intervention with adolescents include authority figures, peer advocacy, the fashion industry, and improved sun protection products.
authors: Centre for Health Research & Psycho-oncology (CHeRP), Locked Bag 10, Wallsend NSW 2287, Australia. Chris.Paul@newcastle.edu.au
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Paul
authors: Flora
authors: F
authors: Tzelepis
authors: Nicholas
authors: N
authors: Parfitt
authors: Afaf
authors: A
authors: Girgis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D013471:Sunburn / Q000517:prevention & control*