Canadian National Survey on Sun Exposure & Protective Behaviours: adults at leisure.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of sun exposure and protective behaviours during leisure time among Canadian adults 25 years of age or more.

Design: A random-digit-dialling telephone household survey of 4023 people 15 years of age or more was completed; 3449 adults 25 years of age or more responded to questions about sun exposure and protective behaviours from June to August 1996.

Results: Many of the adults (51%) reported getting 30 minutes to 2 hours of daily sun exposure, and 26% reported getting more than 2 hours. Half (50%) reported having one or more sunburns during the study period; 21% said they actively spent time suntanning. Less than half reported taking adequate protective actions. Women, light-complexioned and adults 65 years or more were more likely than men, medium- or dark-complexioned adults and adults in younger groups to protect themselves. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the adults said they forgot to take protective actions, 47% felt it was inconvenient to do so, and 29% were not concerned about sun exposure.

Discussion: Canadian adults, especially younger men, are exposed to significant amounts of sun during summer leisure time, but they do not always protect themselves adequately. Interventions should emphasize and facilitate convenient, effective sun protection strategies.