TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2011//
TI  - Use of Sun-Protective Items by Japanese Pedestrians: A Cross-sectional Observational Study
JO  - Archives of dermatology
A1  - Ng, William
A1  - Ikeda, Shigaku
SP  - 1167
EP  - 1170
VL  - 147
IS  - 10
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To document the prevalence and characteristics of the use of sun-protective items by Japanese pedestrians during the midday hours of summer weekends. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Observations were undertaken at 5 locales in central Tokyo on weekends between 11 am and 2 pm from August 7 through 22, 2010. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2338 Japanese pedestrians, from adolescents to senior citizens, were included in the study. Those wearing uniforms and formal attire and individuals of non-Japanese ethnicity were excluded. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The study examined the prevalence of the use of sun-protective items by pedestrians, including hats, parasols, sunglasses, and gloves/protective sleeves, and its association with demographic factors. RESULTS: Japanese female pedestrians demonstrated greater use of 1 or more sun-protective items compared with their male counterparts (53.0% vs 30.2%, P < .001), with parasols being the most popular item (33.0%). The wearing of sunglasses by pedestrians was low overall (males, 8.5%; females, 6.5%), despite the high UV indices recorded during the observation period. A significant proportion of adolescents and young adults (males, 77.1%; females, 65.1%) did not use any sun-protective items. CONCLUSIONS: The promotion of sun-safety measures, including the use of sun-protective items among Japanese adolescents and young adults, may be warranted. The low use of sunglasses by Japanese pedestrians suggests a need to raise public awareness of UV-related ocular damage.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0003-987X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archdermatol.2011.236
ID  - ref1
ER  -