National trends in free public sunscreen dispensers

Skin Cancer Prevention across the G7, Australia and New Zealand: A Review of Legislation and Guidelines

Incidence rates of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers have been on the rise globally in recent decades. While there has been a select focus on personal sun protection awareness, to our knowledge, there is a paucity of legislation in place to help support citizens' efforts to protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Given this, we conducted a comprehensive review of legislation and guidelines pertaining to a variety of sun protection-related topics in countries of the Group of Seven (G7), Australia and New Zealand. Australia was the only country to have banned tanning beds for individuals of all ages, while other select countries have instituted bans for minors. In workplace policy, there is very little recognition of the danger of occupational UVR exposure in outdoor workers, and thus very few protective measures are in place. With regard to sports and recreation, certain dermatological/professional associations have put forward recommendations, but no legislation was brought forward by government bodies outside of Australia and New Zealand. With regard to youth, while there are various guidelines and frameworks in place across several countries, adherence remains difficult in the absence of concrete legislation and standardization of procedures. Finally, only Australia and a few select jurisdictions in the United States have implemented sales tax exemptions for sunscreen products. In light of our findings, we have made several recommendations, which we anticipate will help reduce the rates of melanoma and keratinocyte cancers in years to come. However, minimizing UVR exposure is not without risk, and we, therefore, suggest the promotion of vitamin D supplementation in conjunction with sun protective practices to limit potential harm.

Slip, Slop, Slap, Slide, Seek and Sport: A Systematic Scoping Review of Sun Protection in Sport in Australasia

Australia and New Zealand have the highest incidence of skin cancer. Sport is a fundamental part of Australasian culture, beginning in childhood, often with life-long participation. Participating in outdoor sports can contribute significantly to the lifetime ultraviolet radiation (UVR) dose individuals receive and their risk of developing skin cancer. This systematic scoping review explores the use of sun-protection by outdoor sporting participants in Australasia and considers how sun-protection practices may be improved and better evaluated in the community. A search of electronic databases using the search strategy "sun protection" AND "sport" AND "Australia" yielded 17 studies published in English from January 1992 to August 2021. Study methods included using UV-dosimeters to measure individual UVR-exposure; remote estimates of clothing-adjusted UVR-exposure; direct observation of sun-protection practices; and self-reported sun-exposure and sun-protection. Despite 40 years of 'Slip, Slop, Slap' campaigns in Australia, the use of sun-protection in most outdoor sports is inadequate. The paucity of comparable data limited our analyses, demonstrating a need for standardized, objective evaluation tools. Such tools, if used across a range of sports, should inform the development of workable recommendations that sporting clubs could implement and adopt into policy, thus empowering them to better protect the health of their participants.

Golfers' Interest in Multilevel Sun-Protection Strategies

Active adults accumulate more ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and are at greater risk of skin cancer than inactive adults. Golf is a popular sport that increases UV exposure because it is played outdoors in daylight. This study evaluated adult golfers’ interest in multilevel sun-protection strategies and characterized differences in interest as a function of golfer characteristics. Adult golfers (N = 347) completed a web survey to rate their interest in 20 sun-protection strategies. We estimated descriptive statistics and evaluated differences in interest as a function of demographics, perceived risk, sun-protective behavior, and golf exposure. Golfers reported the greatest interest in environmental supports for sun protection, but these ratings were driven by golfers who already perceived golf as a risk behavior and used sunscreen diligently. Vulnerable golfers—those with a golf-related sunburn in the past year or who spend more time golfing—expressed interest in a broader range of intervention components, including education, family support, and text messages. Multilevel skin cancer prevention interventions are needed for golfers. Intervention components of interest involved support and reminders, which suggests they are open to sun-safety behaviors but need help executing them.