Health related behaviours Sun protection among adults
Note:
All responses refer to usual behaviours from the pre-survey summer between the hours of 11.00a.m. and 3.00p.m. The survey defined: 'Sun screen' as when a broad spectrum 15+ sunscreen (no less) was applied to at least half of all exposed skin; 'Wore protective clothing' as wore more clothing to protect yourself from the sun; 'Wore a hat' as wearing a wide-brimmed hat or cap with a flap; Skin check during the past 12 months as deliberately checking the skin for changes during the past 12 months. Upper and lower limits of the 95 per cent confidence interval (LL/UL 95% CI) for the point estimate are shown in the data table.
Source:
NSW Health Surveys 2004 (HOIST). Centre for Epidemiology and Research, NSW Health.
Unprotected exposure to solar ultra-violet radiation (UVR) is the primary modifiable risk factor in the development of skin cancer. Australia reportedly has the highest incidence of melanoma and non-melanocytic skin cancer in the world. Personal sun-protective behaviours play a key role in minimising the risk of developing skin cancer (Cancer Council NSW and NSW Health, 2001).
Apart from avoiding exposure, combining a range of sun protective behaviours when outside remains the most effective way to minimise exposure to solar ultra-violet radiation (The Cancer Council Australia, 2001). The 'Slip, Slop, Slap' sun protection message has been promoted throughout Australia since the early 1980s ('slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat') to encourage a high level of awareness of the importance of sun protection (The Cancer Council NSW and NSW Health, 2001).
Males from Hunter New England in 2004 were more likely to wear a hat and more clothing as forms of protection against sun exposure. Hunter New England Females in 2004 were more likely to use sunscreen although sizeable proportions also wore hats and more clothing.
Data from the 2004 NSW Chief Health Officer report suggests that the proportion of people wearing a hat when in the sun has declined steadily from 63% (1993) to 52% (2002) for males and 35% to 30% for females. In 2004, the data for Hunter New England males (53%) were relatively similar to the 2002 New South Wales male data. In contrast the proportion for Hunter New England females (49%) was substantially higher than that for New South Wales. A similar pattern may prevail for sun screen use.
For more information:
The Cancer Council Australia. National Cancer Prevention Policy 2001-03. The Cancer Council Australia, 2001.
The Cancer Council NSW and NSW Department of Health. Skin Cancer Prevention Strategic Plan for NSW 2001-2005. Sydney: The Cancer Council NSW and NSW Department of Health, 2001.
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Rider:
The information presented in this report result from analyses of a variety of social and health focused datasets. These datasets originate from a variety of sources including Hunter New England Health, the NSW Department of Health, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The timing of the release of these data to third parties is controlled by the owner of these data. It is therefore possible for these organisations to publish data that they have not yet made available to Hunter New England Population Health for analysis and release. Users should therefore check the publications of these organisations as it is possible that they may have published even more up to date information on Hunter New England than those available in this report. As this report is an ongoing project, the indicators presented will be updated as soon as possible after the release of all datasets to Hunter New England Population Health.
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Hunter New England Population Health. Health in Hunter New England. Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005. Available at:
http://www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/HHNE/beh/beh_sunadult.htm. Accessed (insert date of access).
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