Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and melanoma is the third most common potentially fatal cancer. Unprotected exposure to solar ultra-violet radiation (UVR) is the primary modifiable risk factor in the development of skin cancer, and childhood exposure has been shown to be particularly important in increasing the risk of skin cancer in later life (National Health and Medical Research Council, 1996). Sun protection behaviours play a key role in minimising the risk of developing skin cancer.
In the 2001 NSW Child Health Survey, Hunter New England parents and carers of children aged 12 months and over were asked to describe use of sun protection measures for their children in the previous summer.
When out in the sun for 15 minutes or more between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm, most Hunter New England children aged one to four years were reported to have often or always used sunscreen (91%), worn a broad-brimmed hat or cap with a flap (86%) and worn protective clothing (91%). Reported use of sunscreen was similar among older Hunter New England children, with 89% of children aged 5 to 12 years reported to have used it often or always. However, smaller proportions of these older children were reported to often or always worn a broad-brimmed hat or cap with a flap (72%) or protective clothing (79%).
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For more information:
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National Health and Medical Research Council. Primary prevention of skin cancer in Australia. Canberra: NHMRC, 1996.
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Print version:
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Although this page can be printed directly from your Web browser,
a higher quality version of this entire page (graph, table and text)
is available as an Acrobat PDF file which can be printed or viewed on screen
using Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software).
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Downloadable files:
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The data contained in the table on this page are available for download as a CSV file which can be
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and as an EMF (Enhanced Metafile Format) file. Files in these formats can be imported into most word processing,
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Rider:
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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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Copyright notice:
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This work is copyright Hunter New England Area Health Service, 2005. It may be reproduced
in whole or in part, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. Commercial usage or sale is prohibited.
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Suggested citation:
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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_sunkids.htm. Accessed (insert date of access).
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Produced by:
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Hunter New England Population Health,
Hunter New England Health, with assistance from:
Centre for Epidemiology and Research,
NSW Health.
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Last updated:
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14 December 2005
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See NSW Data:
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To view state data, see NSW Chief Health Officer's Report:
internet version,
intranet version
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