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Predictors of sunburn in north Queensland recreational boat users
Author(s) -
Woolley Torres,
Raasch Beverly
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he05026
Subject(s) - sunburn , medicine , demography , dermatology , sociology
Issue addressed Identify personal and situational factors predicting sunburn in north Queensland recreational boat users over summer. Methods Cross‐sectional survey with prospective 24‐hour follow‐up for sunburn, conducted in Townsville, north Queensland, during the summer of 2003. Ninety‐three out of 100 boat users returning after a day trip agreed to participate. All were followed up, with three later excluded from analysis due to prior sunburn (n=90, response rate 93%). Results Overall, 48% of participants experienced sunburn as a result of their boat trip; 57% of these developed sunburn on the face and 43% on both the V of the neck and the legs. Factors found to increase the occurrence of sunburn were longer time on the water between 10am‐2pm, not wearing a wide‐brimmed hat, not working outdoors, and going boating less than once per month. Conclusions The survey shows unacceptably high levels of sunburn in north Queensland boat users. Sunburn appears related to not using optimal sun protection between 10am and 2pm. Boat users in the tropics need to wear a brimmed hat to better protect the face, a collared long‐sleeved shirt buttoned up at the throat to protect the V of the neck and arms, long pants, and rely less on sunscreen and on darker skin types that are perceived to sunburn less readily. So what? North Queenslanders who participate in high‐risk recreational sun activities, particularly those with less experience of the tropical midday sun, must be educated to use a combination of sun protection measures.