SUN DAMAGE IN TEENAGERS SKIN

A noninvasive method of assessing the degree of sun-induced skin damag e was used to estimate the prevalence of skin damage in teenagers in f our cities in Australia and one in Scotland. Information about age, se x and complexion characteristics was obtained from 1307 students aged 13 to 15 years. Silicone rubber casts were taken of the skin of the st udents' hands and classified as showing either no or mild skin damage. Between 40 and 70 per cent of the Australian students had detectable skin damage, compared with about a third of Scottish students of the s ame age. In a multivariate analysis, the risk of having sun-damaged sk in in the teenage years was up to seven times higher for Australian re sidents than for Scottish residents. Other risk factors were male sex (odds ratio (OR) 4.3), blistering on exposure to sun (OR 2.6), and hav ing blond hair (OR 2.0), red hair (OR 5.3) or freckles (OR 2.7). The h igh prevalence of sun-induced skin damage at such a young age reinforc es the need to encourage sun-protection behaviour in Australian childr en and teenagers.