Canadian National Survey on Sun Exposure & Protective Behaviours: parents' reports on children.

Objective: To describe the prevalence of sun exposure and protective behaviours among Canadian children 12 years of age or less, as reported by their parents.

Design: A random-digit-dialling telephone household survey of 4023 people 15 years of age or more was completed in 1996; 1051 parents responded to questions about their children's sun-related behaviours from June to August 1996.

Results: Most children (89%) had 30 minutes or more of daily sun exposure, and many of them (45%) had sunburns. The prevalence of sun protective actions ranged from 36% for avoiding the sun to 76% for using sunscreen. Parental reports on sun protection for children 5 years of age or less differed significantly from reports for children 6 to 12 years old.

Discussion: High levels of sun exposure among Canadian children suggests the need for protection. Use of multiple methods of sun protection should be emphasized to parents, school personnel, recreation staff and child-care workers.