Started in 1994, this ongoing sun protection survey takes place every three years, and collects information on New Zealanders' sun protection behaviour and attitudes. Topline results from the 2009/10 survey are presented in this document.
Purpose
The Health Sponsorship Council (HSC), in conjunction with the Cancer Society of New Zealand (CSNZ), conducts the Sun Exposure Survey (SES) every three years. The overall goal of the SES is to:
Improve evidence available on prevalence and trends in sun safety behaviour, inclusive of both risk factors and protective strategies in multivariable analyses that will aid future sector decision making.
Methodology
A total of 1,250 adult (18-54 years) and 500 teen (13-17 years) interviews were conducted. The sample frame was all residential phone numbers contained in the White Pages telephone directories. Quotas were set for each regional directory pro rata to the adult population in these areas, to ensure a nationwide spread of interviews. A random sample was then taken within each area.
The data collection method for the survey was a paper-based questionnaire. Interviews were conducted by telephone to sampled households, by National Research Bureau (NRB) interviewers. The interviews were carried out between 25 January and 3 March 2010, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Key Results
Skin Type and Sunburn History
When asked about their untanned skin’s reaction to strong sunshine, the majority of respondents said that they would “burn first, then tan later”. This was consistent with previous years. The remaining responses were split between those whose skin would “just burn” and those whose skin would “just tan”. When asked about natural skin colour, the majority of respondents said that they had fair or medium skin types, with smaller proportions reporting olive, very fair, or darker skin types. Compared with previous years, fewer respondents in 2010 reported that they had a very fair skin type, and more reported that their skin type was “medium”.
One in five respondents had been sunburnt the previous weekend, a figure that has not changed significantly since the previous survey in 2006.
Consistent with previous years, the body parts most likely to have been sunburnt were those less likely to have been covered by clothing – the face, neck, shoulders and lower arms.
One-half of respondents in 2010 said that they had in the past had a moderate to severe sunburn (resulting in blisters or pain for two or more days). This figure had increased significantly since 2006.
Outdoor Activity
In 2010, significantly more respondents had spent 15 minutes or more outside during the previous weekend, compared with 2006. There was also a significant increase since 1994 in the portion of respondents spending time outdoors on both Saturday and Sunday.
When asked about the period of time they had spent outdoors, and whether it was the amount of time they had been intending to spend, the majority of respondents said that they had either spent about the same amount of time they had intended, or that they had not intended any particular time when they went out.
Consistent with previous years, the most popular outdoor activities included gardening, walking or running and jobs around the house. In 2010 there was a significant increase in the proportion of respondents spending time outdoors around shops or other public places, and a significant decrease in those participating in sport. One-third of respondents who had been outside in 2010 had done activities based in or by water.
Sun Protection Behaviour – Clothing, Hats and Sunglasses
While the majority of respondents who had been outdoors in 2010 said that they had been prepared to protect themselves from the sun (ie, had the things they needed on hand), a notable minority (four out of 10) had not.
Around one-half of those who had been outdoors the previous weekend had worn a hat. This proportion had increased significantly since 1994. More than half of those who had been outdoors in 2010 had worn sunglasses.
More than half of those who had been outdoors in 2010 had spent some of that time in the shade.
One-half of those who had been outdoors had covered some of their skin with sunscreen. This proportion had not changed since 2006. There was a significant increase in the proportion of respondents applying sunscreen to their neck and ears, compared with 2006.
Advertising and Information Awareness
Around nine out of 10 respondents in 2010 could recall advertising about sun safety. This was a significant increase since 2006. The most commonly recalled advertising was HSC’s most recent campaign, Never Let Your Child Get Sunburnt.
Skin Cancer Knowledge
When asked about what they thought would increase a person’s chances of getting skin cancer, the majority of respondents mentioned sun exposure. “Not using sun protection” and “getting sunburnt” were also frequently mentioned.
When asked about their own risk of getting skin cancer, around four out of 10 respondents thought that their risk was “medium”, and another four out of 10 thought their risk was “low”. The remaining two out of 10 respondents rated their risk as “high”.
Attitudes to Getting a Tan
While there was no significant change in the proportion of respondents in 2010 agreeing with statements such as “I feel more healthy with a suntan” (four out of 10 respondents agreed) and “A suntan makes me feel better about myself” (nearly one-half agreed), the proportion of respondents who agreed that they actually intended to try to get a suntan was much lower (just under one out of 10).
Vitamin D
Most respondents (nearly nine out of 10, 91%) did not report having done anything deliberately to improve their Vitamin D levels during the previous weekend. Of the 9% who had done something specific, the majority had changed their sun exposure behaviour by going out in the sun, while smaller proportions had taken supplements or foods that they believed (not always correctly) contained Vitamin D.