#0011 Outdoor workers’ perceptions of skin cancer risk and attitudes to sun‐protective measures: A qualitative study
Skin Cancer and Its Prevention: Do Outdoor Workers Perceive Their Own Risk?
One of the common causes of skin cancer is exposure to natural ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Since 2015, skin cancers caused by UVR have been classified as occupational hazards in Germany, where between 2 and 3 million employees work outdoors for a majority of their working hours, constituting up to 75% of their working time. This indicates the need for the German Statutory Social Accident Insurance bodies to develop effective strategies geared at reducing UVR exposure to prevent skin cancer.
The first step to developing these strategies is answering some integral questions such as: are outdoor workers aware of their need to undertake preventive measures? What are their perceptions about the harms of prolonged exposure to sunlight?
To understand outdoor workers’ perspectives and to check their understanding of preventive measures, we pursued a qualitative study, interviewing seven healthy male outdoor workers.
The interview and its subsequent analysis revealed interesting results. The outdoor workers seemed to strongly underestimate their risk to skin cancer and showed varying responses towards the need for sun-protective measures. General consensus was that the feasibility of sun-protective measures depended on the working conditions. The workers suggested that they felt uncomfortable in shirts with full sleeves and full trousers, although they did use helmets. Yet, their attire did not protect their exposed necks and arms from the sun. Moreover, while the use of sunscreens was common, most of the participants did not know proper application techniques.
Our study shines light on the implementation of sun-protective measures for outdoor workers. It is not enough to simply communicate the harms and risks of UVR exposure to the at-risk population. To ensure that outdoor workers are adequately protected from sunlight, educational interventions with clear instructions tailored to the attitudes and needs of the concerned workers are essential.
Link to the original journal article:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/1348-9585.12083
Title of the paper:
Outdoor workers’ perceptions of skin cancer risk and attitudes to sun‐protective measures: A qualitative study
Authors:
Marc Rocholl, Michaela Ludewig, Swen Malte John, Eva Maria Bitzer, Annika Wilke
