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General public knowledge of health awareness that too much exposure to sunlight and solarium increases the casuality rate of skin melanoma
KODETOVÁ, Věra
Harmfulness of sunrays and solariums has become a very topical problem in the recent time. Excess exposure of skin to sunlight causes premature ageing of skin, creation of deep wrinkles and geriatric stains and is especially accompanied with creation of malignant melanoma. However, people don{\crq}t take this warning seriously. A big part of them still thinks that sun exposure (and sunbathing especially) is healthy and that sunburnt body is a sign of beauty and an expression of fitness. Only the awareness of the real danger and change in bad habits in the form of adequate protection against UV radiation can prevent big damages in the near future. The number of malignant melanoma skin disorders is rising every year. The number of diagnosed melanomas in the Czech Republic has increased four times over the last years. The aim of my work is to find out, how well the public is informed about the harmfulness of sunlight and solarium and how people protects themselves against the harmful effects of UV radiation. I collected the data by the query method in the form of questionnaire filled in by students and employees of a secondary vocational school, students of a vocational college and patients of a dermatology ambulance on random screens. In total, 201 question-forms were evaluated. I assumed four hypotheses, all of which have been proved. The public is adequately informed about the harmfulness of UV radiation. In most cases, people protect themselves against the effects of sunlight using creams with protective factor and sunglasses with UV filter. My assumption that women between the ages of 20 and 40 sunbath in the sun or in a solarium for cosmetic reasons has also been proved. The inadequate awareness of preventive programmes and practises which lead to early detection of skin tumours is, however, alerting. I chose this topic because of my experience from a dermatology ambulance where I work and often meet the harmful effects of UV radiation on human skin. I will use the results of my work to educate patients about the harmful effects of UV radiation. I will especially stress the education about self-investigation of skin and about Euromelanoma day programme, which serves to early diagnose of skin tumour. As I have found out, the public lacks this information. The fact that only early detected tumour is curable is important.
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