title: Sun protection behavior and individual risk factors of Turkish Primary School Students associated with skin cancer: a questionnaire-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the Turkish primary school students' sun protection behaviors and their individual risk factors associated with skin cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample of this descriptive study consisted of 6th-8th graders (11-14 age group) from a primary school in the western part of Turkey. A self-report questionnaire was administered. The response rate was 86.0 %.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of students was 12.8 years (SD =0.73). It was determined that the male students in the age group of 13-14 had more risks associated with skin cancer when compared to the female students in the same age group. In terms of the knowledge of the most dangerous hours of the sun and how to protect from their harmful effects, no significant difference was evident between females and males or across age groups. The average score of the students' frequency of use of sun protection methods is 3.40 ± 0.67 out of 5. The most frequent methods used for sun protection were found to be seeking shade during periods of peak ultraviolet radiation and wearing light-colored clothing. The average frequency score for sun-protective behavior of the 11-12 age group was significantly high (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was determined that the students did not practise sun protection behavior frequently enough.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Nursing, School of Nursing, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey. safak.ergul@ege.edu.tr
authors.forename: Safak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ergul
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozeren
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011481:Protective Clothing; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents