Multiple skin cancer risk behaviors are common among...( smokers persons who consume high levels...),Health

Descriptive information about the prevalence of multiple skin cancer risk behaviors and related factors such as age may inform the development of targeted protective strategies for specific high-risk groups, Coups said.

Since the UV damage to the skin is cumulative, lack of protection by young people is likely to drive a continued increase in skin cancers as these generations grow older over the next decades, noted Stuart R. Lessin, M.D., director of dermatology at Fox Chase. This new research on behavior relating to skin cancer risk may help us target the highest-risk groups with educational messages tailored for them.

Ultraviolet radiation exposure is the most important modifiable risk factor for all types of skin cancer, Coups said. Wearing protective clothing like a wide-brimmed hat, avoiding sun exposure during the middle of the day, when rays are strongest, seeking shade, using sunscreen and avoiding indoor tanning have all been recommended by various agencies, but all available data suggest that the majority of American adults dont follow this advice and instead have high rates of UV exposure and sunburns.

A comprehensive approach to skin cancer prevention requires attention to multiple skin cancer risk behaviors that are common in the U.S. population, Coups and his fellow authors concluded.

Although previous research had suggested that individuals had multiple risk-increasing behaviors, the current study is the first comprehensive analysis of the prevalence and correlates of multiple behavioral risks for skin cancer among U.S. adults. Correlates examined in this study include geographic location; demographic factors such as age, gender and education; health-care access; behavioral health
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