Version 1
: Received: 8 May 2024 / Approved: 9 May 2024 / Online: 9 May 2024 (17:23:47 CEST)
How to cite:
Budeanu, B.; Cătănescu, M. Ș.; Dan, A. A.; Dan, M. O.; Brînzea, A. Assessing Romanian Medical Student Perspective on Sun Protective Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints2024, 2024050622. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0622.v1
Budeanu, B.; Cătănescu, M. Ș.; Dan, A. A.; Dan, M. O.; Brînzea, A. Assessing Romanian Medical Student Perspective on Sun Protective Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints 2024, 2024050622. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0622.v1
Budeanu, B.; Cătănescu, M. Ș.; Dan, A. A.; Dan, M. O.; Brînzea, A. Assessing Romanian Medical Student Perspective on Sun Protective Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints2024, 2024050622. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0622.v1
APA Style
Budeanu, B., Cătănescu, M. Ș., Dan, A. A., Dan, M. O., & Brînzea, A. (2024). Assessing Romanian Medical Student Perspective on Sun Protective Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0622.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Budeanu, B., Mihai Octavian Dan and Alice Brînzea. 2024 "Assessing Romanian Medical Student Perspective on Sun Protective Behaviours: A Cross-Sectional Study" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.0622.v1
Abstract
Background: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sunlight can harm skin cells, causing short-term effects, such as sunburns and long-term effects, such as pigmentation changes, changes in the skin's immune responses, and increased risk of skin cancer. These conditions can be largely prevented with proper sun protection measures and behavioural changes. This study aims to assess the knowledge on sun protection behaviour and baseline knowledge of medical students from the “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. Methods: Data in this cross-sectional study were collected through a Google Forms questionnaire, which was distributed from November 2023 to December 2023 via digital communication channels to students across all academic years. STROBE guidelines were consulted for data synthesis; Results: A total of 668 stu-dents responded. The student cohort demonstrated a commendable level of awareness of the risks associated with sun exposure and the advantages of employing sun protection factor (SPF); how-ever, the incidence of sunburns remained notably elevated (72.3%). Further analysis revealed cor-relations among gender, academic year, presence of photosensitizing conditions, and adherence to SPF application. Additionally, there is a need to improve understanding of the appropriate appli-cation techniques for SPF, as only 11.5% of the students exhibited proficiency in this regard; Con-clusions: As future healthcare providers, medical students hold significance in promoting healthy behaviours in the broader community. This study indicates that while their knowledge about sun protection is satisfactory, there is scope for enhancement.
Keywords
skin cancer; sun protection; prevention; healthy behaviours
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Dermatology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.