title: The influence of age and gender in knowledge, behaviors and attitudes towards sun protection: a cross-sectional survey of Australian outpatient clinic attendees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding sun protection in different age groups and between men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter cross-sectional study using a population-based survey of 416 individuals over the age of 18 years was undertaken during 2014.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of individuals aged 18-30 years, 94% had experienced at least one episode of sunburn in the previous year. The likelihood of self-examining increased as age increased (p < 0.001). Only 15% of participants used the recommended amount (40 ml) of sunscreen. Women were twice as likely to put on sunscreen as men. Women had better knowledge about sun protection and sunscreen use, and were twice as likely to know that sunscreen was denatured by heat and had an expiry date (p = 0.01). Women were more than twice as likely to put on sunscreen every day compared with men (p = 0.002). Reported barriers to sunscreen use included greasiness and forgetfulness and this was more commonly reported as age decreased (p = 0.002; p = 0.004). The younger population was less likely to use more than one modality of sun protection (p = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study highlights a number of gender- and age-specific findings with regards to sun protection. There are knowledge, attitude, and behavior deficiencies within each demographic group that need to be specifically targeted through educational and public health efforts in order to improve general sun protection measures and decrease the incidence of skin cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Royal North Shore Hospital, Reserve Road, St Leonards, NSW, 2065, Australia, a.lee@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kieran Benjamin
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Garbutcheon-Singh
authors.forename: Shreya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dixit
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Saxon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001315:Australia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013471:Sunburn / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents