VALIDATION OF A SPANISH QUESTIONNAIRE TO EVALUATE HABITS, ATTITUDES, AND UNDERSTANDING OF EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT: "THE BEACH QUESTIONNAIRE"

Background. Questionnaires are the usual method for investigating sun-related behavior. However, such tools must be validated through evaluation of their measurement properties. The aim of the present study was to assess the validity and reliability of a Spanish questionnaire evaluating habits, attitudes, and understanding of exposure to sunlight. Patients and Methods. In a cross-sectional study, the questionnaire was administered to a sample of 422 participants found on beaches. For the test-retest analysis, 70 hospital-based health professionals were interviewed on 2 separate occasions. The construct validity, internal consistency, and reproducibility were analyzed. Results. Factorial analysis of the principal components confirmed the construct validity with commonalities and factor saturations > 0.50, and revealed multiple dimensions with Cronbach a values > 0.70. The items on habits and understanding showed intraclass correlation and d coefficient values > 0.70, but those on attitude had lower stability values (0.50-0.80). Conclusions. This is the first Spanish questionnaire with demonstrated validity and reliability for evaluating habits, attitudes, and understanding of exposure to sunlight. It will be a useful instrument for future epidemiologic studies and research into the prevention of skin cancer in Spain.