Sun-Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour in Western Saudi Arabia: Implications for Psycho-Oncology Prevention Services.

IF 3.5 2区医学 Q2 ONCOLOGY

Psycho‐Oncology Pub Date : 2025-09-01 DOI:10.1002/pon.70273

Arwa F Flemban, Saeed M Kabrah, Asmaa A Alabbadi, Noor M Alharbi, Abdulaziz A Alotaibi, Ragad A Baghdadi, Maryam K Alhawsawi, Bakr M Alharbi, Halah T Albar, Samar N Ekram, Hanan M Abd Elmoneim

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Melanoma, a highly aggressive skin cancer, is strongly linked to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Despite high UV levels in Saudi Arabia, public awareness and adherence to melanoma preventive behaviours remain underexplored. This study assessed knowledge (factual accuracy), attitudes, and sun-protective practices among adults in the western region of Saudi Arabia, investigating demographic and gender-specific differences.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from April to May 2024, recruiting 553 participants aged 18-80 years through convenience sampling. A validated 46-item questionnaire assessed melanoma knowledge, risk perception, sun exposure patterns, and adherence to preventive behaviours. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA were used to analyse differences based on age, gender, education, employment, and healthcare affiliation.

Results: Moderate awareness of melanoma was observed (mean = 2.28, 5-point Likert scale), with 73.2% of participants recognising sunlight as a risk factor for skin cancer. However, misconceptions were widespread, including beliefs that short-term sun exposure is harmless (36%) and that sunscreen is unnecessary on cloudy days (43.8%). Females and younger participants (18-35 years) demonstrated significantly higher knowledge (p < 0.001 and p = 0.036, respectively) and risk perception; however, adherence to sun-protective behaviours (e.g., sunscreen re-application, protective clothing) was suboptimal across all groups (mean = 2.67). Education level influenced awareness (p = 0.031), but did not impact behaviour.

Conclusion: Despite moderate awareness, significant knowledge gaps and a knowledge-action gap hinder melanoma prevention in this high-UV region. Culturally tailored interventions targeting misconceptions and behavioural barriers, particularly among males and individuals with lower educational attainment, are essential. These findings inform the development of evidence-based strategies to reduce melanoma risk in Saudi Arabia and similar high-UV settings.

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太阳安全知识，态度和行为在沙特阿拉伯西部：对心理肿瘤预防服务的影响。

背景：黑色素瘤是一种高度侵袭性的皮肤癌，与紫外线（UV）暴露密切相关。尽管沙特阿拉伯的紫外线水平很高，但公众对黑色素瘤预防行为的认识和坚持程度仍未得到充分探讨。本研究评估了沙特阿拉伯西部地区成年人的知识（事实准确性）、态度和防晒措施，调查了人口统计学和性别差异。方法：于2024年4 - 5月采用横断面在线调查方法，采用方便抽样法，共招募18-80岁的参与者553人。一份经过验证的46项问卷评估了黑色素瘤知识、风险认知、阳光照射模式和对预防行为的依从性。采用描述性统计和单因素方差分析分析基于年龄、性别、教育、就业和医疗机构的差异。结果：观察到对黑色素瘤的中度认知（平均= 2.28,5点李克特量表），73.2%的参与者认识到阳光是皮肤癌的危险因素。然而，误解普遍存在，包括认为短期阳光照射是无害的（36%），阴天不需要防晒霜（43.8%）。女性和更年轻的参与者（18-35岁）表现出更高的知识(p结论：尽管意识适度，但显著的知识差距和知识-行动差距阻碍了高紫外线区域黑色素瘤的预防。针对误解和行为障碍，特别是针对男性和受教育程度较低的个人，有文化针对性的干预措施至关重要。这些发现为制定以证据为基础的策略提供了信息，以降低沙特阿拉伯和类似高紫外线环境中黑色素瘤的风险。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Psycho‐Oncology 医学-心理学

CiteScore

6.30

自引率

8.30%

发文量

220

审稿时长

3-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Psycho-Oncology is concerned with the psychological, social, behavioral, and ethical aspects of cancer. This subspeciality addresses the two major psychological dimensions of cancer: the psychological responses of patients to cancer at all stages of the disease, and that of their families and caretakers; and the psychological, behavioral and social factors that may influence the disease process. Psycho-oncology is an area of multi-disciplinary interest and has boundaries with the major specialities in oncology: the clinical disciplines (surgery, medicine, pediatrics, radiotherapy), epidemiology, immunology, endocrinology, biology, pathology, bioethics, palliative care, rehabilitation medicine, clinical trials research and decision making, as well as psychiatry and psychology. This international journal is published twelve times a year and will consider contributions to research of clinical and theoretical interest. Topics covered are wide-ranging and relate to the psychosocial aspects of cancer and AIDS-related tumors, including: epidemiology, quality of life, palliative and supportive care, psychiatry, psychology, sociology, social work, nursing and educational issues. Special reviews are offered from time to time. There is a section reviewing recently published books. A society news section is available for the dissemination of information relating to meetings, conferences and other society-related topics. Summary proceedings of important national and international symposia falling within the aims of the journal are presented.