Educazione sanitaria e Sole

Introduction: Epidemiological studies show that the incidence of skin cancer increases with a decrease in geographic latitude. Among risk factors for the development of epitheliomas, exposure to ultraviolet radiation without preventive measures is one of the most important factors. It is necessary to better inform the population about the most efficacious preventive measures for sunbathing. The "Sun Friend Programme" has the aim of investigating primary and secondary school students' sun exposure habits to better define future skin cancer prevention campaigns. Materials and methods: 387 males and 400 females, randomly selected, (age: 8-13 years) answered our questionnaire and were measured for the erythema and pigmentation index with a spectrometer. Statistical analysis was conducted by SPSS 11.01, and by SPAD 3 to perform univariate and bivariate analysis. Results: Our data showed that 40.3% of students sunbathe with high frequency and use photoprotection while 7.5% was indifferent to the use of sunscreens. Referring to the erythema index the majority of the sample (68.2%) had a range of 6.1 through 12 for irradiated skin and from 7.0 through 12 for non-irradiated skin. The pigmentation index divided the sample into two classes; 66.7% had a range from 30.1 through 49.6 for irradiated skin, while non-irradiated skin showed a range from 31 through 43. Conclusions: our study shows that it is necessary to perform a preventive campaign among the young population on sun risk to underline the important role that ultraviolet radiation plays in carcinogenesis. One of the most important aims of educational campaigns is to stimulate awareness about skin damage and the use of preventive measures.