Background: Sunlight exposures for a longer period cause some pathogenic effects which, in turn, may cause skin cancer. There are many ways known to protect the skin from the harmful effect of the sun including the sunscreen. This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the awareness of sun exposure and the use of sunscreen among adults in Saudi Arabia. This study also focused on evaluating the participantsÂ’ sun protective practices and attitudes.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population of Saudi Arabia using a self-administered questionnaire.
Results: This study involved 500 participants of different age brackets. The results of the study indicated that 49.6% of the population knew the fact that sun exposure causes skin cancer. In addition, 45.5% of the participants agreed that skin cancer could result in death; however, the other 46% were not sure of the effects of skin cancer whether it could cause death. On the effects of sun exposure, 74.3% of the study participants agreed that sun causes aging. The study participants were found to be using different methods of minimizing exposure such as the regular use of head cover (54.7%), face cover (41.3%), long sleeved clothes (46.5%), and even staying in shades (42.9%). Other methods included the use of sunglasses (36%) and umbrella (14.7%).
Conclusion: This study indicated that there was an average awareness of sun exposure and the underlying effects. In addition, a good proportion of the population outlines measures to reduce exposure to sunlight by, for example, wearing sunglasses. However, the use of sunscreen is low among the population regardless of the knowledge of the effects of sun exposure.
Key words: sun exposure, knowledge, sunscreen, Saudi Arabia
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