Background: Skin cancer is the most common malignancy of the fair-skinned population worldwide. To reduce skin cancer's burden primary and secondary prevention are critical. However, various studies indicate an inadequate prevention behavior among rural populations.
Objective: To examine the risk and prevention behavior with respect to skin cancer and to identify subgroups in rural areas with specific need for prevention efforts.
Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study carried out in the first quarter of 2017, patients and their accompanying persons (≥18 years) were interviewed on the subject of primary and secondary prevention in waiting rooms of nondermatological medical practices in the Bavarian Forest, Germany. Data were collected using paper-based questionnaires. Associations were calculated using logistic regression models.
Results: In all, 880 persons (57.7% women, mean age = 49.5 years) were included in the analysis, of whom 53.6% had undergone a skin cancer screening at least once before. Sunscreen was the most frequently used sun protection measure. Male sex and being 18-34 years of age were significantly associated with not using prevention measures (depending on the measure: odds ratio [OR]: 1.4-2.4 and 1.8-3.7, respectively). In addition, not using skin cancer screening was associated with UV exposure more than 6 h daily in summer (OR: 1.8, 95%-CI [confidence interval]: 1.14-2.97).
Conclusion: Future prevention strategies should increasingly focus on young adults, on men and people with high solar UV exposition particularly, to reduce the burden of skin cancer in rural areas.
Keywords: Health risk behavior; Preventive measures; Skin cancer screening; Sun protection; UV radiation exposure.