Ultraviolet Sunlight Exposure Assessment

Ultraviolet sunlight exposure: a comparison of alternative exposure assessment methods

Sun exposure has been associated with skin cancer as well as potential protection against various other cancers. Few studies have examined alternative methods to retrospectively assess exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV), particularly for women whose outdoor behavior patterns likely differ from those of men. REB investigators initiated a small pilot study to explore questionnaire-based UV exposure patterns and assessment methods. For one week, participants were asked to keep a diary of outdoor activities during 9am-5pm, while simultaneously wearing a personal UV dosimeter. The subjects subsequently completed surveys on their recollection of time outdoors during the study week and during their lifetime. This feasibility study was designed to evaluate patterns of outdoor behavior and the validity and reproducibility of alternative assessment methods for a one-week period, as well as the reproducibility of alternative methods of assessing lifetime sun exposure. Analyses currently in progress are evaluating the reproducibility of hour-based and activity-based measures of lifetime UV exposure.