title: Prospective study of sunburn and sun behavior patterns during adolescence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early childhood UV light radiation (UVR) exposures have been shown to be associated with melanoma development later in life. The objective of this study was to assess sunburn and changes in sunburn and sun behaviors during periadolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective, population-based study was conducted in fifth-grade children (∼10 years of age) from Framingham, Massachusetts. Surveys were administered at baseline (September-October 2004) and again 3 years later (September-October 2007). Surveys were analyzed to assess prevalence of reported sunburn and sun behaviors and to examine changes in response over the follow-up period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were analyzed from 360 participants who had complete information regarding sunburn at both time points. In 2004, ∼53% of the students reported having at least 1 sunburn during the previous summer, and this proportion did not significantly change by 2007 (55%, P = .79), whereas liking a tan and spending time outside to get a tan significantly increased (P < .001). In 2004, 50% of students reported "often or always" use of sunscreen when outside for at least 6 hours in the summer; this proportion dropped to 25% at the follow-up evaluation (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With at least 50% of children experiencing sunburns before age 11 and again 3 years later, targeting children in pediatric offices and community settings regarding unprotected UV exposure may be a practical approach. Because periadolescence is a time of volatility with regard to sun behaviors, learning more about children who receive sunburns versus those who avoid them is a critical research task.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Dermatology Service, New York, NY 10022, USA. duszas@mskcc.org
authors.forename: Stephen W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Dusza
authors.forename: Allan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.forename: Jaya M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Satagopan
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Oliveria
authors.forename: Martin A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Weinstock
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scope
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berwick
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Geller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts; D008545:Melanoma / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents