title: Individual, environmental, and meteorological predictors of daily personal ultraviolet radiation exposure measurements in a United States cohort study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Individual exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is challenging to measure, particularly for diseases with substantial latency periods between first exposure and diagnosis of outcome, such as cancer. To guide the choice of surrogates for long-term UVR exposure in epidemiologic studies, we assessed how well stable sun-related individual characteristics and environmental/meteorological factors predicted daily personal UVR exposure measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated 123 United States Radiologic Technologists subjects who wore personal UVR dosimeters for 8 hours daily for up to 7 days (N = 837 days). Potential predictors of personal UVR derived from a self-administered questionnaire, and public databases that provided daily estimates of ambient UVR and weather conditions. Factors potentially related to personal UVR exposure were tested individually and in a model including all significant variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The strongest predictors of daily personal UVR exposure in the full model were ambient UVR, latitude, daily rainfall, and skin reaction to prolonged sunlight (R(2) = 0.30). In a model containing only environmental and meteorological variables, ambient UVR, latitude, and daily rainfall were the strongest predictors of daily personal UVR exposure (R(2) = 0.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the absence of feasible measures of individual longitudinal sun exposure history, stable personal characteristics, ambient UVR, and weather parameters may help estimate long-term personal UVR exposure.
authors: Radiation Epidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA. khaykine@mail.nih.gov
authors: Elizabeth Khaykin
authors: EK
authors: Cahoon
authors: David C
authors: DC
authors: Wheeler
authors: Michael G
authors: MG
authors: Kimlin
authors: Richard K
authors: RK
authors: Kwok
authors: Bruce H
authors: BH
authors: Alexander
authors: Mark P
authors: MP
authors: Little
authors: Martha S
authors: MS
authors: Linet
authors: Daryl Michal
authors: DM
authors: Freedman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D008875:Middle Aged; D011829:Radiation Dosage; D012867:Skin / Q000528:radiation effects; D013472:Sunlight; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014894:Weights and Measures
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