Characterization of the sun-protection practices in higher education students

• Autor(es): Vilas-Boas, Sophia ; Branco, Sílvia ; Costa, Xavier ; Pereira, Olívia R.
• Data: 2014
• Identificador Persistente: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/9809
• Origem: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
• Assunto(s): Higher education students; Sun-protection practices; Sunscreen; Sunburns
• Tipo de Documento: Documento de conferência
• Idioma: Inglês

Descrição

The skin is a dynamic barrier with important organic functions. On the other hand, the excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation without the use of adequate photo-protection is associated to health risks. The main objective of this study was to analyze the habits of sun exposure and the sun-protective practices in students of the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança. A cross-sectional study was performed through an application of a questionnaire to a 163 students, of both gender, aged between 18 and 29 years. The results showed that, during the week, 48.5% of the students were exposed to solar radiation for 1 to 2 hours daily and 38.7% for 3 to 6 hours. During the weekend, 25.8% of the students were exposed to solar radiation for 1 to 2 hours while 27.0% were exposed 3 to 6 hours. Concerning the time of the day of the sun exposure, it was concluded that in summer a large percentage of students (57.7%) were exposed between 12 p.m. and 16 p.m. The majority of students (82.8%) used sunscreen, while along the year only 34.8% used sunscreen. From all students, approximately half used a photo-protection factor between 30 a 50. Additionally, 71.8% of them suffered sunburns, from which approximately a half had more than five incidences. Globally, this study showed that the students are excessively exposed to the sun, particularly in times associated to high UV radiation. Most of them use sunscreen, although just a few opt for those that offer a very high protection.