Trends in sun protection behaviour among Australian young adults

Objective: To study changes in sun protection behaviour; exposure and sunbu rn that occur from late adolescence to young adulthood. Method: A longitudinal design was used to survey a cohort on their sun-prot ection behaviour from the middle of their final year at school to more than three years after finishing school. Results: Males reported higher exposure, less use of sunscreen and deeper t ans than females. Yet males wore hats more frequently. People with skin tha t just burnt were more likely to protect themselves from the sun than peopl e with skin that tanned. Longitudinally, the level of reported exposure and the depth of tan declined, frequency of covering up, hat wearing and sunsc reen use remained unchanged, and a slight U-shaped trend was observed for s unburn. Conclusions: Young adulthood may be an important time where deteriorating t rends for sun protection found in the teen years are averted. Males are at greater risk of sun exposure than females. Implications: It is recommended that health promotion programs capitalise on the trend of improved sun-prot ective behaviours during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood , with a particular focus on young men.