Counseling on Sun Protection and Indoor Tanning

Details

• Alternative Title:
  Pediatrics
• Personal Author:
  Balk, Sophie J. ; Gottschlich, Elizabeth A. ; Holman, Dawn M. ; Watson, Meg
• Description:
  BACKGROUND
  
  The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends clinical counseling for individuals ages 10 to 24 years to decrease skin cancer risk.
  
  METHODS
  
  A national, random sample of US American Academy of Pediatrics members practicing primary care in 2002 (response rate 55%) and 2015 (response rate 43%). Surveys explored attitudes and experiences regarding sun protection counseling; indoor tanning questions were added in 2015. χ2 tests compared demographics and counseling responses across years, and multivariable logistic regression models examined counseling predictors.
  
  RESULTS
  
  More pediatricians in 2015 (34%) than in 2002 (23%) reported discussing sun protection during recent summer months with ≥75% of patients. This pattern held across all patient age groups (each P <.001). Female and suburban pediatricians counseled more; those in the South and West counseled less. More pediatricians in 2015 than in 2002 named time as a barrier. Sun protection ranked lowest among preventive topics in both years. In 2015, approximately one-third of pediatricians reported discussing indoor tanning at least once with 10 to 13 year-old patients; approximately half discussed this with older adolescents. Most (70%) did not know if their states had laws on minors’ indoor tanning access; those stating they knew whether a law existed counseled more.
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  
  Although improved, sun protection counseling rates remain low. Indoor tanning counseling can be improved. Because early-life exposure to UV radiation increases risk and clinician counseling can positively impact prevention behaviors, pediatricians have an important role in skin cancer prevention; counseling may save lives. Time constraints remain a barrier.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adult Aged Article Counseling Female Follow-Up Studies Humans Incidence Male Middle Aged Retrospective Studies Skin Skin Neoplasms Sunbathing Sunburn Surveys And Questionnaires

  More +
• Source:
  Pediatrics. 140(6).
• Pubmed ID:
  29127209
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC5892197
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• Volume:
  140
• Issue:
  6
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:2597034588472a80ef1654944ba94c9064f79bc9bb12a7076b7c65be45429bb2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/53219/cdc_53219_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 421.74 KB ]