Assessment of Natural Sunlight Protection Provided by 10 High-SPF Broad-Spectrum Sunscreens and Sun-Protective Fabrics.

In 1978, the FDA Advisory Panel proposed both indoor and natural sunlight SPF testing methods but reverted to indoor testing only in 1993. Today's sunscreen sun protection and broad-spectrum claims are based on mandated clinical tests using solar simulators and in vitro spectrophotometers. This research evaluated the protection of 10 high-SPF (30-110), broad-spectrum sunscreen products, as well as 6 sun-protective fabrics against natural sunlight in Arequipa, Peru. Each of the 17 subjects was exposed to natural sunlight for 1 h and 59 min under clear skies, with temperatures and humidity similar to those in an indoor clinical laboratory. Test sites were photographed 16-24 h later. Four dermatologists evaluated the photographs for erythema and persistent pigment darkening (PPD). Perceptible sun-induced skin injury (sunburn and/or pigmentation) was detected at 97% of the sunscreen-protected scores. The most sun-sensitive subjects obtained the least erythema protection. The higher the SPF was, the higher the erythema protection, but the intensity of PPD was also higher. The 2 sunscreens using only FDA-approved sunscreen filters rated 30 SPF and 45+ SPF performed poorly: Eighty-one percent of the 136 scores were graded 1 minimal erythema dose or higher erythema, achieving, at a maximum, SPF of 5-7 in natural sunlight. Sun-protective fabrics tested provided excellent sun protection. The erythema and PPD observed through the sunscreens in less than 2 h are incongruous with the broad-spectrum, high-SPF sunscreen claims. Reapplying these sunscreens and staying in the sun longer, as stated on the product labels, would have subjected the subjects to even more UV exposure. High-SPF, broad-spectrum sunscreen claims based on indoor solar simulator testing do not agree with the natural sunlight protection test results.

An Experimental Investigation of Human Presence and Mobile Technologies on College Students' Sun Protection Intentions: Between-Subjects Study.

BACKGROUND: Health promotion and education programs are increasingly being adapted and developed for delivery through digital technologies. With this shift toward digital health approaches, it is important to identify design strategies in health education and promotion programs that enhance participant engagement and promote behavior change. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the impact of an experiment testing various mobile health (mHealth) skin cancer prevention messages on sun protection intentions and message perceptions among American college students. METHODS: A sample of 134 college students aged 18 years or older participated in a 2×2×2 between-subjects experimental study, designed to examine the individual and combinatory effects of multiple dimensions (human presence, screen size, and interactivity) of digital technologies. The primary study outcome was intention to use sun protection; secondary outcomes included attitudes toward the information, two dimensions of trust, and information processing. RESULTS: Generally, intention to use sun protection was positively associated with the presence of human characters in the health educational messages (P<.001), delivering educational health messages on a large screen (ie, iPad; P<.001), and higher interactivity (P<.001). Only human presence produced more favorable attitudes (P=.02). Affective trust was positively associated with human presence (P=.006) and large screen size (P<.001), whereas cognitive trust was positively associated with human presence (P<.001) and small screen size (P=.007). Moreover, large screen size led to more heuristic processing (P=.03), whereas small screen size led to more systematic processing (P=.04). CONCLUSIONS: This experimental study demonstrates that the impact of mHealth skin cancer prevention messages differs based on platform and delivery design features. Effects on behavioral intentions, attitudes, and trust were found for conditions with human presence, highlighting the importance of including this feature in mHealth programs. Results from this experimental study can be used to optimize the design of mHealth educational interventions that promote sun protection.