title: Awareness of sunburn in childhood, use of sunbeds and change of moles in Denmark, Northern Ireland, Norway and Sweden.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant melanoma (MM) is increasing rapidly in Northern Europe. To reduce incidence and mortality through earlier diagnosis, public awareness of MM is important. Thus, we aim to examine awareness of risk factors and a symptom of MM, and how awareness varies by country and socio-demographic factors in Denmark, Northern Ireland (NI), Norway and Sweden.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based telephone interviews using the 'Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer' measure were conducted in 2011 among 8355 adults ≥50 years as part of the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership Module 2. Prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In these four countries, lowest awareness was found for 'sunburn in childhood' (63%), whereas awareness was high for 'use of sunbeds' (91%) and 'mole change' (97%). Lack of awareness of 'sunburn in childhood' was more prevalent among respondents from Norway [PR = 1.38 (1.28-1.48)] but less prevalent among respondents from Northern Ireland (NI) [PR = 0.78 (0.72-0.85)] and Sweden [PR = 0.86 (0.79-0.93)] compared with respondents from Denmark. Lack of awareness of 'use of sunbeds' was more prevalent among respondents from Norway [PR = 2.99 (2.39-3.74)], Sweden [PR = 1.57 (1.22-2.00)], and NI [PR = 1.65 (1.30-2.10)] compared with respondents form Denmark. Being a man, age ≥70, living alone, and having lower education, were each independently associated with lack of MM-awareness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate relatively low awareness of 'sunburn in childhood' as a risk factor for MM, and important disparities in MM-awareness across countries and socio-demographic groups. Improved and more directed initiatives to enhance public MM-awareness, particularly about 'sunburn in childhood', are needed.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden senada.hajdarevic@umu.se.
authors.forename: Senada
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hajdarevic
authors.affiliation: 2 Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care (CaP), Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Line
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hvidberg
authors.affiliation: 3 European Palliative Care Research Centre (PRC), Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Yulan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: 4 Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Queen's University of Belfast, Centre for Public Health, Mulhouse Building, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Conan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Donnelly
authors.affiliation: 4 Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Queen's University of Belfast, Centre for Public Health, Mulhouse Building, Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BJ, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gavin
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of learning, informatics, management and ethics, Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lagerlund
authors.affiliation: 2 Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care (CaP), Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anette F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.affiliation: 6 Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgit H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of learning, informatics, management and ethics, Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Runesdotter
authors.affiliation: 2 Research Centre for Cancer Diagnosis in Primary Care (CaP), Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vedsted
authors.affiliation: 5 Department of learning, informatics, management and ethics, Medical Management Centre, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 7 Innovation Center, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tishelman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009506:Nevus / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013471:Sunburn / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology