Parents protect their children from the dangers of the sun better than themselves

Wear a hat, avoid the hottest hours, get sunscreen every two hours: parents protect their children more than they do against the sun, according to the 2015 Cancer Barometer published on Monday. [19659002] "Revealing fact of this new survey, (the) behavior of protection of the parents with regard to their children (are) relatively well put into practice", note the authors of this survey carried out every five years with 4,000 people

Problem: parents are much less vigilant for themselves, notes this document devoted to solar risks and published by the health agency Public Health France and the National Cancer Institute (INCa).

Thus, in the sun, 78% of parents of children under 4 years of age make sure to always put a hat but only 13% to do so themselves.

Similarly, the exhibition between 12h00 and 16h00 is systematicallyavoided for 62% of children but only 20% of parents.

Finally, the systematic return to sunscreen every two hours concerns 54% of children but only 15% of parents.

In addition, "Misconceptions are still too frequent"

For example, 47% of the population mistakenly believe that if childhood sunburns are well cared for, they are of no consequence in adulthood.

"Sunburn received during childhood greatly increases the risk of skin cancer in adulthood," says the Barometer, which recalls that the sun can also "cause serious problems of sight"

Similarly, 24% wrongly think that artificial UV before the holidays can prepare the skin for protection from the sun, while "artificial UV, also carcinogenic, only add to the UV of sun and strengthen the carcinogenic effect. "

INCa estimates that 80,000 skin cancers per year, including 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", have caused nearly 1,800 deaths.

"In a context of global warming that predicts an increase in sunshine in the more or less long term, cancers cutaneous and other pathologies induced by UV can only continue to progress in the coming years, warns the Barometer.

The health authorities recall the preventive actions on the site www.prevention-soleil.fr