Sunburn and sun protection among young children

Objective: To examine the extent of sun exposure, sun protection and experience of sunburn among young New Zealand children on summer weekends, Methods: In a telephone survey of 1243 respondents, those with children in the household were asked about sun exposure and protection for the youngest child in the family. Information was obtained for 285 children aged from infancy to 10 years. Results: Over 90% of the children were reported to be outside on the preceding Saturday and/or Sunday; 7% of those outside experienced some degree of sunburn. The worst burning was on the face, head, neck or ears. On either day about half the children were wearing sunscreen and 60% were wearing a hat. Parental use of sun protection was the strongest predictor of sun protection among the children. Conclusions: While reports of sun protection among young children were encouraging, many children in the community are still at high risk of sunburn. Efforts to promote sun protection as a family responsibility may reduce the experience of burning among the young.