Views of Sun Protection among Young People Aged 16–20
Keywords:
sun protection, adolescents, attitudes, knowledgeAbstract
The purpose of the study was to describe the sun protection behaviour of Finnish young people aged 16-20. The study is part of the national sun protection campaign for youth implemented by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finnish Cancer Organizations and the University of Eastern Finland. The data consisted of eleven individual interviews (n=11) and were collected in two phases; in the preparatory phase of the campaign in 2020 and as the campaign continued between December 2021 and January 2022. The data were analyzed by inductive content analysis.
According to the results, young people protected themselves from the sun mainly with sunscreen, with headgear and by being in the shade. Their sun protection was influenced by attitudes and knowledge related to the sun, as well as other factors, such as time and place, social networks, and the perceptions of skin burning. Even the relatively good knowledge did not guarantee adequate sun protection, because it was difficult to see skin cancer affecting them. According to young people, it would be possible to promote sun protection by talking more about the theme and increasing their knowledge about sun protection in schools and on social media. The results of this study can be used to increase young people’s knowledge about sun and to design national sun protection campaigns that can promote safer sun protection for youth.
