Folks in higher income groups had significantly greater risks of sunburns, with the highest income group being more than four times more likely to report a sunburn, according to new data from researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton, FL.
For the study, researchers explored associations between reported number of sunburns and sociodemographic characteristics, in addition to examining prevalence of protective skin behaviors adopted by the U.S. adult population in a nationally representative sample.
Adults older than 40 and women had fewer sunburn risks, and disabled, unemployed, and multi-occupation participants reported fewer sunburns. Married or partnered individuals had higher risks of sunburn, while divorced or single participants had lower risks. Higher education levels, being Hispanic, Black, Asian or of mixed race were linked to lower sunburn risks, the study showed.
“Social determinants such as race/ethnicity, sex, income and employment status are closely linked to sunburn and skin cancer risk,” says Lea Sacca, PhD, senior author and an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine, within the Schmidt College of Medicine, in a news release. “While Hispanics and Black Americans generally report lower rates of sunburn, Hispanics often perceive greater benefits of UV exposure, which increases their risk. Factors such as sex, education, and income also influence sunscreen use, with lower use observed among Black Americans and Hispanic Americans. However, within these groups, women with higher education and income are more likely to use sunscreen. Interestingly, higher income is associated with more frequent sunburns.”
Using data from the U.S. National Cancer Institute’s 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey 6 (HINTS 6), researchers selected questions focused on respondents’ confidence in their health, perceived cancer risk, and worry about getting diagnosed with cancer, as well as their sunburn experiences over the past year. Sociodemographic factors that were studied included age, gender, occupational status, marital status, educational level, Hispanic origin, race and income due to their potential link to skin cancer risk.
Among 6,252 participants surveyed, when asked how confident they felt about their ability to take good care of their own health, most respondents felt either very confident (44%) or completely confident (27.3%). Findings, published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, also showed most respondents had moderate concerns about skin cancer risk. Only 9.1% reported being extremely worried, while the majority were either somewhat (26.6%) or slightly (25.6%) concerned.
For sunburn and skin protection, 67.6% reported no sunburns in the past year, while 30.3% had 1-5 sunburns. Additionally, 6.4% reported consuming alcohol while sunburned, a known risk factor for increased sunburn incidence. Activities like drinking alcohol, working outside or swimming were common among those who reported sunburns.
“Understanding perceptions of skin cancer risk and the prevalence of protective behaviors is vital to reducing the likelihood of developing skin cancer, particularly among vulnerable groups,” adds Madison Etzel, first author and a second-year medical student in the Schmidt College of Medicine. “Our study underscores the importance of raising awareness about skin cancer susceptibility as we found that all sociodemographic factors were significantly linked to the number of reported sunburns in the past year. Future research should explore how additional social determinants of health influence sunburn incidence and prevention behaviors. A deeper understanding of these factors is critical to addressing the widespread harms of skin cancer in U.S. adults.”
