Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers
Excessive sun exposure during childhood increases the risk of skin cancer. This study characterized the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers regarding exposure and sun protection of children and adolescents. One hundred and ninety-eight caregivers (38.5 ± 8.0 years) who resorted to the consultation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/11/1019 |
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| author | Mafalda Salvado Ana Fraga Diogo Luís Marques Ivan Miguel Pires Carmo Coelho Gonçalves Nádia Mendes Silva |
| author_facet | Mafalda Salvado Ana Fraga Diogo Luís Marques Ivan Miguel Pires Carmo Coelho Gonçalves Nádia Mendes Silva |
| author_sort | Mafalda Salvado |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Excessive sun exposure during childhood increases the risk of skin cancer. This study characterized the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers regarding exposure and sun protection of children and adolescents. One hundred and ninety-eight caregivers (38.5 ± 8.0 years) who resorted to the consultations of a Pediatrics Service or a Family Health Unit answered a questionnaire. The age of children/adolescents was 6.5 ± 5.1 years. On average, caregivers presented a high level of knowledge regarding exposure and sun protection. One hundred and twenty-six caregivers indicated that they obtained more information about sun protection on social communication, and 66% considered the information provided by healthcare professionals to be enough. One-hundred and fifteen caregivers reported that the child/adolescent was more exposed to the sun after 4 a.m., and 88% reported applying sunscreen on the beach/pool and outdoor activities. Fifty-seven percent of caregivers renewed sunscreen application on the child/adolescent every 2 h, and 94% applied a sun protection factor ≥ 50 in the child/adolescent. There was a significant association (<i>p</i> < 0.001) between education level and caregivers’ self-knowledge about sun protection (the higher the education, the higher the knowledge), and between the knowledge of the hour of sun exposure avoidance and the time when the child/adolescent was more exposed to the sun. This study shows that caregivers are highly knowledgeable about exposure and sun protection in children/adolescents, and their attitudes follow the general recommendations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:35:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-06ce496e6ce04393bf6c79728f32590d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:35:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-06ce496e6ce04393bf6c79728f32590d2023-11-22T22:55:19ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672021-11-01811101910.3390/children8111019Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of CaregiversMafalda Salvado0Ana Fraga1Diogo Luís Marques2Ivan Miguel Pires3Carmo Coelho Gonçalves4Nádia Mendes Silva5Unidade de Saúde Familiar Cidade do Lis, Centro de Saúde Dr. Gorjão Henriques, 2410-272 Leiria, PortugalServiço de Pediatria, Centro Hospitalar de Leiria, 2410-197 Leiria, PortugalDepartment of Sport Sciences, University of Beira Interior, 6201-001 Covilhã, PortugalInstituto de Telecomunicações, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-001 Covilhã, PortugalUnidade de Saúde Familiar Vitrius, Centro de Saúde da Marinha Grande, 2430-269 Marinha Grande, PortugalUnidade de Saúde Familiar Cidade do Lis, Centro de Saúde Dr. Gorjão Henriques, 2410-272 Leiria, PortugalExcessive sun exposure during childhood increases the risk of skin cancer. This study characterized the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers regarding exposure and sun protection of children and adolescents. One hundred and ninety-eight caregivers (38.5 ± 8.0 years) who resorted to the consultations of a Pediatrics Service or a Family Health Unit answered a questionnaire. The age of children/adolescents was 6.5 ± 5.1 years. On average, caregivers presented a high level of knowledge regarding exposure and sun protection. One hundred and twenty-six caregivers indicated that they obtained more information about sun protection on social communication, and 66% considered the information provided by healthcare professionals to be enough. One-hundred and fifteen caregivers reported that the child/adolescent was more exposed to the sun after 4 a.m., and 88% reported applying sunscreen on the beach/pool and outdoor activities. Fifty-seven percent of caregivers renewed sunscreen application on the child/adolescent every 2 h, and 94% applied a sun protection factor ≥ 50 in the child/adolescent. There was a significant association (<i>p</i> < 0.001) between education level and caregivers’ self-knowledge about sun protection (the higher the education, the higher the knowledge), and between the knowledge of the hour of sun exposure avoidance and the time when the child/adolescent was more exposed to the sun. This study shows that caregivers are highly knowledgeable about exposure and sun protection in children/adolescents, and their attitudes follow the general recommendations.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/11/1019sun exposuresun protectionpediatric agechildrenadolescentscaregivers |
| spellingShingle | Mafalda Salvado Ana Fraga Diogo Luís Marques Ivan Miguel Pires Carmo Coelho Gonçalves Nádia Mendes Silva Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers Children sun exposure sun protection pediatric age children adolescents caregivers |
| title | Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers |
| title_full | Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers |
| title_fullStr | Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers |
| title_short | Sun Exposure in Pediatric Age: Perspective of Caregivers |
| title_sort | sun exposure in pediatric age perspective of caregivers |
| topic | sun exposure sun protection pediatric age children adolescents caregivers |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/8/11/1019 |
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