Despite a growing number of young adults developing skin cancers, little is known about the sun-protective behavior of high school athletes exposed to high levels of UV radiation, such as junior tennis players. To investigate the frequency and quality of their sun protective behaviors, a web-based, anonymous survey was conducted among tennis players at high school varsity matches and United States Tennis Association tournaments in Southern California. Although 92.6% of the 81 respondents indicated they play during peak sun intensity hours, 46.9% stated they do not regularly wear sunscreen, 27.2% do not routinely wear hats or visors, only 9.9% wear protective eyewear, and 4.9% wear UV-protective clothing; furthermore, 87.5% of junior tennis players stated they are not very familiar with skin cancer, but 73.8% would like to learn more about it. The results of this study demonstrate a lack of consistent sun protective behavior among junior tennis players, providing a rationale for the development of targeted educational campaigns to increase skin cancer risk awareness and more effective sun-protective behavior.
Keywords: junior athletes; melanoma; skin cancer; sun protection; tennis.
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