Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards Usage of Sunscreen and Prevention of Skin CancerAmong Doctors of a Tertiary Care Hospital: ACross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective: Skin cancer is preventable but nowadays it is one of the fastest growing cancers, especially in South Asia. The purpose of this study is to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice towards usage of sunscreen and prevention of Skin Cancer among Doctors of a Tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated structured questionnaire covering the areas of knowledge, attitude, and practice of the study participants. Results: Atotal of 150 Doctors participated in thisstudy, 68 men and 82 women.Among the total participants, only 10 (6.66%) were aware thatsunscreen reducessunburns. In contrast, 16 (10.66%) of the candidates denied any sunscreen application asthey found it to be useless. 10% of the participants always used sunscreen whereas the majority (21.33%), only used it sometimes. There was no re-application of Sunscreen by 83 individuals that participated in the survey; however, 20.66% of doctors re-applied it every hour. Protection against skin cancer was the second most common reason of using sunscreen. Majority of the doctors (n=52) avoided sunscreen as they simply forgot to use it. Conclusion: This study has revealed that the knowledge and use of sunscreen among doctors in Lahore, Pakistan is suboptimal. Although 52.7% of participants reported using sunscreen, only 10% consistently used it, with 21.33% applying it occasionally. A substantial number of doctors in our study had poor attitudes and practices regarding sunscreen use, with many only using it during sunny months or citing reasons such as forgetfulness, greasiness, or cost as barriers.