Sun protection use behaviour among University students from 25 low, middle income and emerging economy countries.
The aim of this study was to investigate the sun protection use behaviour among university students from 25 low, middle income and emerging economy countries. Using anonymous questionnaires, data were collected from 18,687 undergraduate university students aged 18-30 years (mean age 20.8, SD=2.8) from 26 universities in 25 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. Overall, 57.2% of university students reported liking to sunbathe and of those only 48.1% used sun protection when sunbathing. In multivariate logistic regression, younger age, being female, coming from a wealthy or quite well off economic family background, living in an upper middle or high income country, lighter skin tone, and other health behaviours were found to be associated with sun protection use behaviour. Low sun protection use calls for health promotion programmes to prevent unprotected sun exposure.
ASEAN Institute for Health Development, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakhonpathom, Thailand E-mail : karl.pel@mahidol.ac.th.
Supa
S
Pengpid
Karl
K
Peltzer
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013473:Sunscreening Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
D013473:Sunscreening Agents