The assessment of students’ knowledge about the harmfulness of sun exposure and prophylactic measures

Abstract

Introduction: Ultraviolet radiation has a significant influence on human health. UVA is responsible for skin aging, while UVB for sunburns. The frequency of sun exposure correlates with the amount of pigmented moles and the incidence of skin cancer. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the medical and non-medical students’ knowledge on the danger of solar radiation and the implementation of this knowledge in practice.
Materials and methods: The study included students aged between 18 and 30, studying at medical universities in Poland and students from non-medical universities. All students completed a questionnaire investigating their knowledge about sun exposure and evaluating their actions associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Results: The harmful effect of sun was confirmed by about 90% of students of both, medical (90.0%) and non-medical universities (88.1%); 61% of students admit to sunbathing. A total of 6.8% of students in non-medical fields, and 8.7% of medical students, admit to use a sunbed. More than 90% of respondents used sunscreens at least occasionally, however, regular application was observed in only 11.8% non-medical college students and 14.8% of medical schools.
Conclusions: Students from non-medical universities demonstrated comparable knowledge about the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin. There were no significant differences between students from medical and non-medical universities as in respect to implementation of their knowledge in practical conditions.