MedStar Health's new safe sun survey shows
where Americans are most likely to forget to use sunscreen.
COLUMBIA, Md.,
May 20,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Most parents are used to hearing
pediatricians discourage screen time for kids, but during National
Safe Sun Week doctors are actually asking for more —
sunscreen time that is! Keeping skin protected by increasing summer
"screen time" is a major theme of the fourth annual National Safe
Sun Week, which kicks off on Monday, May
20, and runs through Memorial Day on Monday, May 27. Each year, MedStar Health uses
this week to shine a light on the critically important topic of
summer sun safety, sunscreen use, and skin cancer prevention,
especially for younger children.
According to MedStar Health's newly released safe sun survey
results, only 32% of respondents knew that suffering a bad sunburn
as a child is more likely to lead to skin cancer than a bad sunburn
in adulthood. MedStar Health conducted the national survey of 1,000
Americans to learn more about the public's sun safety habits and
test its knowledge of skin cancer risk factors and prevention
strategies. According to physicians, childhood sunburns pose a
greater risk because the sooner skin damage starts, the more likely
it is to compound and grow more dangerous over time.
"This is the one area where our kids need much more screen
time," said Allison Larson, MD,
physician executive director of Dermatology for MedStar Health. "I
have adult patients who spend a lot of time indoors at office jobs
and they don't understand why they are developing skin cancer now.
I ask them, 'Were you sunburned as a child?' The answer is almost
always, 'Yes.' This is why it's so important that we have a plan to
make sure our kids are wearing sunscreen during outdoor activities
and regularly reapplying."
Dermatologists generally recommend reapplying sunscreen every
two hours for proper protection. Unfortunately, only 32% of survey
respondents knew the correct timeframe and only 11% said that they
"almost always" wear sunscreen on a regular basis.
Especially for kids, creating a sun protection plan for the
summer can help them get more sun "screen time":
- Apply sunscreen every day and reapply every two hours.
- Remind them to reapply different ways, such as packing
sunscreen in their lunchbox.
- Tie putting on sunscreen to another regular habit, like eating
or brushing teeth.
- Don't forget the most overlooked body parts: ears, neck, chest,
and back of the hands.
- Replace your sunscreen every year or sooner because it loses
its effectiveness over time.
- Ask your school or summer camp to carve out time to reapply
sunscreen.
According to survey respondents, spending time by the water is a
helpful sunscreen reminder. Most said sunscreen is "usually" or
"always" part of their routine when swimming at the pool, visiting
the beach, or boating. However, those good seaside habits do not
always extend to potentially skin damaging land-based outdoor
activities. Most said they only "sometimes" or "never" apply
sunscreen while attending a sporting event (53%), visiting
festivals or fairs (54%), running or walking (63%), or driving
(77%).
"This is huge," Dr. Larson said. "We understand that when we're
lounging by the pool or the ocean, we need to wear sunscreen.
That's the right thinking, but it can't stop there. If a child is
running around the neighborhood all day without coverage, a routine
summer day playing outside might end up being much more damaging
than a few hours at the beach or the pool."
While most say they remember to use sunscreen at the beach, Dr.
Larson says it's still important that they remember to reapply
regularly over the course of the beach day. To help remind them
this summer, MedStar Health will again fly planes from Ocean City, Maryland, to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, carrying banners to
let beachgoers know it's time to lather up again.
Also, those spending time in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area this summer should keep
an eye out for MedStar Health's sunscreen towers installed at major
events across the region. If visitors forget to bring their own
sunscreen, they can grab SPF 30 at the towers for free and enjoy
protection from harmful ultraviolet rays.
Additional results from MedStar Health's survey include:
- Eight in ten respondents report being badly sunburned at least
once.
- 23% say they have been badly sunburned at least 5 times.
- Just over half of people under age 40 know that there is no
such thing as a "safe" sunburn, while 82% of people over age 40
know this to be true.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), skin cancer
is the most common form of cancer in the
United States, with about 80,000 to 90,000 new cases
reported annually in recent years.
For more information about National Safe Sun Week, please visit
https://nationaltoday.com/national-safe-sun-week/
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SOURCE MedStar Health