These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Validity of self-reported solar UVR exposure compared with objectively measured UVR exposure.
    Author: Glanz K, Gies P, O'Riordan DL, Elliott T, Nehl E, McCarty F, Davis E.
    Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 2010 Dec; 19(12):3005-12. PubMed ID: 20940277.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Reliance on verbal self-report of solar exposure in skin cancer prevention and epidemiologic studies may be problematic if self-report data are not valid due to systematic errors in recall, social desirability bias, or other reasons. METHODS: This study examines the validity of self-reports of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) compared to objectively measured exposure among children and adults in outdoor recreation settings in 4 regions of the United States. Objective UVR exposures of 515 participants were measured using polysulfone film badge UVR dosimeters on 2 days. The same subjects provided self-reported UVR exposure data on surveys and 4-day sun exposure diaries, for comparison to their objectively measured exposure. RESULTS: Dosimeter data showed that lifeguards had the greatest UVR exposure (24.5% of weekday ambient UVR), children the next highest exposures (10.3% ambient weekday UVR), and parents had the lowest (6.6% ambient weekday UVR). Similar patterns were observed in self-report data. Correlations between diary reports and dosimeter findings were fair to good and were highest for lifeguards (r = 0.38-0.57), followed by parents (r = 0.28-0.29) and children (r = 0.18-0.34). Correlations between survey and diary measures were moderate to good for lifeguards (r = 0.20-0.54) and children (r = 0.35-0.53). CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest study of its kind to date, and supports the utility of self-report measures of solar UVR exposure. IMPACT: Overall, self-reports of sun exposure produce valid measures of UVR exposure among parents, children, and lifeguards who work outdoors.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]