Volume 24, Issue 104, July - August, 2020

Public awareness about skin cancer and sun protection assessment in Jeddah

Sahal Samarkandy^1,2, Mazen Dajam^2♦, Khalid Alsaggaf², Fayz Alhamyri², Omar Shaikhomar²

¹Dermatology Department, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah
²King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah

^♦Corresponding author
King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Email: m.dajam@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

Background: Sun exposure remains the major pathogenic factor for skin cancer. Despite this well-known association, the global incidence of skin cancer is continuously increasing. In Saudi Arabia, the risk of skin cancer may be under estimated. Therefore, public awareness and knowledge about such risk and the protective attitudes should be continuously assessed. Objectives: To provide an updated insight into the level of public awareness about skin cancer, and to assess the level of compliance with protective measures. Methods: Between September 2018 and January 2019, a population-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah city. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 385 participants, including visitors of a commercial mall at the center of Jeddah (250) and attendees of outpatient clinics of the National Guard Hospital (135). Results: According to Fitzpatrick's skin type classification, 49.6% of the participants had type IIIa 25.5% type IV, and 18.4% type II. Skin pathological history showed sunburn (34.6%), moles or nevi (20.5%), skin growth of lump (17.6%), and personal (0.5%) and family (2.6%) history of skin cancer. Of all respondents, 58.9% correctly identified ultraviolet light exposure as the strongest risk factor for skin cancer, and females were more aware of this correlation (65.5%) than males (53.2%), (p=0.049). More than half the participants reported being exposed to direct sunlight at least ½ hour per day, while only 26.2% reported using sunscreen regularly, and 12.2% and 70.4% often or regularly used an umbrella and covered their head, respectively. Conclusion: The level of awareness about the carcinogenic risk of ultraviolet light exposure is unsatisfactory among Jeddah’s population, which associates a very low level of protective behaviors. More efficient health orientation and educational programs should be conducted to raise public awareness and fight against skin cancer epidemic.

Keywords: Awareness, Skin Cancer, knowledge

Medical Science, 2020, 24(104), 2153-2161

PDF