Facing the effects of the sun, parents protect their children better than themselves

Wear a hat, avoid the hottest hours, get sunscreen every two hours … Parents protect their children more than themselves against the sun, according to the 2015 Cancer Barometer published on Monday.

"Revealing facts of this new survey, [les] parents' protective behaviors towards their children [sont] relatively well put into practice," according to this study. Problem: parents are much less vigilant for themselves, notes this document dedicated to solar risks and published by the health agency Public Health France and the National Cancer Institute (INCa).

Misconceptions are too common

Thus, in the sun, 78% of parents of children under the age of 4 take care to systematically put a hat on them but only 13% do so themselves. Similarly, exposure between noon and 4 pm is systematically avoided for 62% of children but only 20% of parents.

Finally, the fact of systematically recovering from sunscreen every two hours concerns 54% of children but only 15% of parents

In addition, "misconceptions are still too common". For example, 47% of the population mistakenly believe that if childhood sunburns are well cared for, they are of no consequence in adulthood. "Sunburns during childhood greatly increase the risk of skin cancer in adulthood," says the Barometer. The sun can also
"Cause serious vision problems."

Cancers Due to Excessive Sun Exposure

Similarly, 24% mistakenly believe that artificial UV before the holidays makes it possible to prepare one's skin for protection against the sun. sun, while "artificial UV, also carcinogenic, only add to the UV of the sun and strengthen the carcinogenic effect."

The INCa estimates at 80,000 the number of skin cancers per year, 14,000 melanomas – the most serious – for the year 2015. That same year, these cancers, of which two-thirds are "linked to excessive exposure to the sun", caused nearly 1,800 deaths.

"In a context of global warming which provides an increase in sunshine more or less long term, skin cancers and other pathologies induced by UV can only continue to progress in the coming years, "warns the Barometer. The health authorities recall the preventive measures on the site www.prevention-soleil.fr

>> To read also: Sunscreen. Protecting your skin or the environment … Should we choose?

>> To read also: Sun creams, anti-UV clothing … How best to protect your children from the sun?

>> To read also: Sun and strong heat. Are we going towards a scorching summer?