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Increased education on hazards of UV exposure a must for college athletes

College athletes demonstrated weak sun protection behaviors, possessed unhealthy tanning attitudes and exhibited rudimentary knowledge on skin cancer, researchers found.

A nonrandom selection of 393 Division I athletes attending a Southern U.S. university completed a modified version of the Melanoma Risk Behavior Survey, which consisted of questions on demographics, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to sun protection and skin cancer risk(s).

Participants were 18 to 24 years old; 54.8% were male and 45.2% were female.

The researchers found that college athletes lacked basic knowledge on skin cancer and sun protection; mean score for the knowledge portion of the survey was 8.88 out of a possible 24.

Among those surveyed, only 35% understood that sunscreen should be reapplied every hour. With regard to skin cancer risk, only 20.7% of athletes knew that spending an increased amount of time outdoors was a significant risk factor. Furthermore, 83% of athletes shared the misconception that tanning beds were beneficial to one’s health.

Researchers found no association between age and skin cancer knowledge. However, they did find that darker-pigmented races were less knowledgeable about skin cancer. Overall, females scored higher on the knowledge, attitude and behavior portions of the survey.

The researchers concluded that universities and athletic departments should encourage healthy sun protection behaviors and supply sunscreen to athletes, among other safety measures, to protect students and encourage healthy sun habits.

Disclosures: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.