Sunscreen use sees big drop in autumn, according to survey

A survey released by the Melanoma Foundation of New England found that a high percentage of U.S. adults used sunscreen in the summer but never in the fall.

The non-profit agency conducted an independent national survey of 1,016 adults regarding the frequency of sunscreen application by season, sunscreen preference and opinions regarding the Melanoma Foundation of New England’s (MFNE’s) Practice Safe Skin free public sunscreen dispenser program, according to a press release.

There were 86% of respondents reporting using sunscreen “always” or “sometimes” in the summer months, with a reversal of use between summer and fall, the release reported. There were 39% of respondents who reported “always” using sunscreen in summer and “never” using sunscreen in the fall.

There were 35% of respondents in Southern states who reported using sunscreen “always” in the summer months and 14% reported using sunscreen in the winter months, despite receiving as many as 246 days of sun a year, according to the release.

There were 32% of African American respondents who reported “never” using sunscreen in summer, compared with 14% of all participants in the national survey response. There were 67% of African American respondents who reported “never” using sunscreen in winter. When asked why they would not use free sunscreen, some African American respondents cited their race as a reason for lack of need of sunscreen, according to the release. A recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported that melanoma was more deadly in people of color, with the lowest overall survival rate, according to the release.

There were 51% of participants reporting they would use free public sunscreen if it were available.

“This survey revealed a lot about Americans as it related to the high rate of melanoma in this country,” Deb Girard, MFNE executive director, stated in the release. “For MFNE, it is a call to action, showing where our education and awareness can be most effective and demonstrating desire for free public sunscreen throughout the country.”

Reference: www.mnfne.org