RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Wrong beliefs about risky actions such as sunbathing and tanning are common due to media advertisements or general lack of knowledge. This work has focused on the knowledge and attitude of a group of citizens in Tehran, Iran and the protective actions they take regarding undesirable effects of the sun. METHODS: A descriptive-analytic cross-sectional study has been conducted on 400 randomly selected individuals from the citizens of Shahrak-E-Gharb, an area in northwest Tehran. A questionnaire comprising 24 questions including demographic information, individuals' knowledge about sun exposure, and their opinions and behaviors on protective actions towards solar radiation were used to assess study objectives. Crude and adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for socio-demographic factors were calculated through univariate and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: The majority of participants had good knowledge about sun protective behaviors. Knowledge about sun exposure duration and tanning was higher among women and those with higher education. As for attitude, only 15% were concerned about skin cancer and 61.8% thought skin cancer can be prevented by sun protection. Higher education was associated with a more positive attitude towards tanning. Among respondents, 41% had suitable clothing to protect themselves against sun burn and only 32% used sunscreen most of the time. University graduates had significantly better practice towards using sunscreen cream compared to high school graduates. CONCLUSION: Although our study sample possessed good knowledge towards sun protection, their attitude and practices were unsatisfactory. Thereby, they need to be informed and educated as how to be safely protected against excessive sun exposure.