Higher Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure Among Rural-Dwelling Versus Urban-Dwelling Adults and Children: Implications for Skin Cancer Prevention.

Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: Netherlands NLM ID: 7600747 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1573-3610 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00945145 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Community Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: Amsterdam : Springer
Original Publication: New York, Human Sciences Press.

Melanoma/*prevention & control ; Rural Population/*statistics & numerical data ; Skin Neoplasms/*prevention & control ; Ultraviolet Rays/*adverse effects ; Urban Population/*statistics & numerical data; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Utah

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is a primary risk factor for the development of melanoma. However, adults and adolescents often do not engage in preventive behaviors to reduce UVR exposure. Rural residents may be at higher risk for melanoma due to lower use of sun protection strategies, which increases their overall UVR exposure compared to those who live in urban areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in UVR exposure between rural and urban residents in a geographic area with high incidence of melanoma. Children (aged 8-17 years) and adults (≥ 18 years) from rural and urban areas of Utah were asked to wear a UVR monitoring device for 14 days. The sample included 97 children and 97 adults. Data was collected from June to October 2018. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney tests and quantile regression were used to compare UVR exposure levels between urban and rural participants, separately for adults and children. For adults, rural residence significantly increased total UVR dose ( β: 24.6; 95% CI 3.75, 42.74) and the UVR dose during peak UVR hours among participants with the highest UVR doses (β: 16.3; 95% CI 17.4, 24.63). Rural children exhibited significantly higher UVR doses for peak UVR hours for the entire study period (β: 4.14; 95% CI 0.83, 7.46) and on weekdays (β: 0.39; 95% CI 0.05, 0.73). The findings from this study indicate that rural residents may receive higher levels of UVR exposure than urban residents, and that prevention efforts could be tailored to address these geographical differences.

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UL1 RR025764 United States RR NCRR NIH HHS; UL1 TR002538 United States TR NCATS NIH HHS; DP2 EB022360 United States EB NIBIB NIH HHS; K07 CA196985 United States CA NCI NIH HHS; UL1 TR000105 United States TR NCATS NIH HHS

Keywords: Geographical health disparities; Melanoma prevention; Ultraviolet radiation exposure; Wearable technology

Date Created: 20200617 Date Completed: 20210628 Latest Revision: 20220202

20240829

PMC7736287

10.1007/s10900-020-00860-6

32542551