A survey on awareness of sun exposure among farmers, construction workers, and traffic policemen in Erbil

Abstract EN

Incidence rates of skin cancers, that is,nonmelanoma and melanoma, are increasing in many countries.

Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is widely accepted to be the main causal factor of these problems.

Several people are occupationally exposed to solar UVR, including farmers, construction workers, and some public service workers.

They are prone to skin cancer due to long-term exposure to UVR.

Thus, an understanding of sun risks and sun protection tools is vital for them.

The purpose of this study is to obtain a better understanding of how a subpopulation, that is, traffic policemen, construction workers, and other individuals, understands the sun risks and the benefits of sun protection and how they apply this knowledge.

A total of 200 participants (86% male and 14 % female) were surveyed in the study.

The survey data that were collected focused on knowledge of sun exposure, sun risk, and sun protection behavior.

Differences in the answers to the survey questions were compared.

Most of the individuals who were exposed to solar UVR for more than 6 h were traffic policemen and construction workers.

In addition, most of these individuals did not experience sunburns.

However,44% of the participants experienced skin redness and sunburn and 14% experienced more than five sunburns.

Results showed that 30% of the participants had no knowledge of the harmful effects of solar radiation.

Moreover, 72% of the participants did not apply sunscreen protection and 92% did not use an umbrella or shade.

Meanwhile, 87% of the participants used shirts with sleeves as protection and 81% used a hat.

Disparities in knowledge of the perceived risk of skin cancer from sun exposure and of the sun-protective behavior among construction workers, traffic policemen, and public service workers exist.

In addition, effective prevention programs for outdoor workers are essential.

Traffic policemen and construction workers should be educated on the effects of sun exposure and sun protection.