[Impact of the women's press on the attitudes of readers toward ultraviolet radiation--a survey of law and psychology students].
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB) leads to negative consequences including sunburn, carcinogenesis and photoaging. Therefore, educational campaigns promoting safe tanning and sunscreens are necessary. Helpful with this regard might be mass media including women's magazines, which for young people are important source of information on health, beauty and lifestyle. The aim of the study was to examine the influence of women's press in the attitude of non-medical students toward ultraviolet radiation (UV) as well as to analyse articles about tanning and skin protection against UV rays in selected magazines for women.


METHODS
The study group consisted of 68 psychology students and 60 law students (n = 128). An original author's questionnaire was used in this research, including 22 questions regarding frequency of reading articles about sunbathing, and the impact of women's press on the respondents' attitude toward suntanning. In the second part of the study 13 articles were examined from magazines "Twój Styl", "ELLE", "PANI" (years 2007-2011), which contained keywords "sun", "tanning bed", "tanning", "UV radiation". Selected articles were assessed whether they were encouraging to, or discouraging from sunbathing.


RESULTS
A majority (63%) of respondents declared that after reading the article in women's magazines, they began to apply a sunscreen with higher SPF rate than before. Moreover, 57% refrained from using tanbeds, and 48% began to regularly check melanocytic naevi and monitor their skin after sun exposures. The analysis of the articles showed that majority of articles discouraged from the sunbathing (11 articles discouraging versus and 2 encouraging).


CONCLUSIONS
Women's press in Poland generally promotes women's rational behavior against UV radiation and tanning.
Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum, Wydział Farmaceutyczny, Koło Naukowe Kosmetologia Lecznicza i Estetologia przy Zakładzie Dermatologii Doświadczalnej i Kosmetologii, Katowice.
Karolina
K
Gałajda
Grazyna
G
Kamińska-Winciorek
Radosław
R
Spiewak
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011044:Poland; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055108:Sunbathing; D013471:Sunburn / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
D013473:Sunscreening Agents