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Influence of having a home garden on personal UVR exposure behavior and risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Denmark
Author(s) -
Idorn Luise Winkel,
Thieden Elisabeth,
Philipsen Peter Alshede,
Wulf Hans Christian
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.27734
Subject(s) - trunk , medicine , danish , demography , confidence interval , socioeconomic status , gerontology , environmental health , population , biology , ecology , philosophy , linguistics , sociology
There is a need for more knowledge concerning the association of higher socioeconomic status (SES) with cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM). Having a home garden is associated with a higher SES. We aimed to study the influence of having a home garden on UVR exposure behavior and risk of CMM. Register study: We collected information from Danish national registers about gender, age, type of home and CMM among persons aged 16–75 in 2002–2006. A total of 5,118 CMM cases were identified. Risk of CMM of the trunk was increased by 46% ( p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval (CI): 31–63) and risk of CMM of the extremities by 34% ( p < 0.001, 95% CI: 20–49) among people with home gardens. Dosimeter study: During a summer season 194 participants living in the Capital area, Denmark, equally distributed in homes with and without a garden, wore personal electronic UVR dosimeters measuring time‐stamped UVR doses continuously and filled in sun exposure diaries. While no difference was found in estimated yearly UVR dose between groups, participants with a home garden had more days exposing shoulders or upper body, and upper extremities outdoors than those without a garden ( p = 0.026, age adjusted). People with a home garden are at increased risk of CMM of the trunk and extremities—body sites that seems to be exposed to a higher extent among people with home gardens. People with a higher SES are more likely to have a home garden. This may partly explain the well‐known association of higher SES with CMM incidence.