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Similarity of sun protection attitudes and behaviours within north Queensland peer groups
Author(s) -
Woolley Torres,
Buettner Petra
Publication year - 2009
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/he09107
Subject(s) - population health , similarity (geometry) , health economics , public health , peer review , community health , animal ecology , environmental health , medicine , geography , political science , nursing , ecology , computer science , biology , law , artificial intelligence , image (mathematics)
Issue addressed The study investigates whether the perceived sun protective practices of the peer group during a day‐time recreational boat trip were associated with the sun protective attitudes and behaviours of individuals on the same boat. Methods Cross‐sectional survey of recreational boat users conducted in Townsville, North Queensland, during the summer of 2003. One hundred and twenty‐four of 134 boat users returning from a day trip agreed to participate, with 10 later excluded from analysis due to either being the sole person on the boat or because they were in the sun for less than an hour between 9 am and 3 pm (n=114, response rate=92%). Results The more positively respondents perceived the sun protective behaviours of other people on the boat, the more likely they were to report that they: did not enjoy exposing their unprotected skin to the sun (p=0.004); believed an occasional sunburn is not an acceptable risk (p=0.006); wore sunglasses on the trip (p=0.002); wore a wide‐brimmed hat together with a long‐sleeved shirt and sunscreen (p=0.006); and did not report reasons for neglecting to use sun protection (p=0.019). Conclusions The perceived sun protection practices of the peer group majority were significantly associated with the sun protection practices of the observer. So what? Educating North Queenslanders about avoiding UVR‐induced skin damage from social recreational sun activities should involve adapting sun protection messages to target peer and family social networks, and identifying peer leaders who can be used to model recommended sun protective practices.