Sun-Protective Behavior Rates

National surveys supported by CDC indicate that U.S. youth and adults are being exposed to ultraviolet radiation and can do more to protect themselves. More than one-third of the U.S. population reported a sunburn in the previous year, with rates higher among men and the non-Hispanic white population.¹

Adults

In 2005, only 56% of adults said they usually practice at least one of the three sun-protective behaviors (use sunscreen, wear sun-protective clothing, or seek shade).²

• 30% reported usually applying sunscreen (27% applied sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher).
• 18% reported usually wearing some type of fully sun-protective clothing.
• 33% usually sought shade.

Teens

Among high school students, when they were outside for more than an hour on a sunny day—

• 11.7% of girls and 6.3% of boys reported they routinely used a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.³
• 15.9% of girls and 20.5% of boys reported they routinely stayed in the shade, wore long pants, wore a long-sleeved shirt, or wore a hat that shaded their face, ears, and neck.³

About 86% of teens aged 14–17 years used indoor tanning devices. Girls aged 14–17 years were seven times more likely than boys in the same age group to use these devices.⁴

References

¹Saraiya M, Balluz L, Wen XJ, Joseph DA. Sunburn prevalence among adults—United States, 1999, 2003, and 2004. MMWR 2007;6(21):524–528.

²National Cancer Institute. Cancer Trends Progress Report—2007 Update: Sun Protection. Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

³Eaton DK, Kann L, Kinchen S, Ross J, Hawkins J, Harris WA, Lowry R, McManus T, Chyen D, Shanklin S, Lim C, Grunbaum JA, Wechsler H. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2005. MMWR Surveillance Summaries 2006;55(5):1–108.

⁴QuickStats: Percentage of teens aged 14–17 years who used indoor tanning devices during the preceding 12 months, by sex and age—United States, 2005. MMWR 2006;55(40):1101.