Current practice and beliefs of parents toward sunscreen use for their children: A cross-sectional study

Parents are generally influencing the sun protection behaviors of their children, including sunscreen use. In Saudi Arabia, sunscreen use was estimated in adults but not children. The objective was to estimate the prevalence and predictors of sunscreen use among parents and their children. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2022. Parents who were visiting outpatient clinics at a university hospital in Al-Kharj city, Saudi Arabia, were invited to complete an online questionnaire. A total of 266 participants were included in the final analysis. The mean age of parents was 39.0 ± 8.9 years, and the mean age of children was 8.2 ± 3.2 years. The prevalence of sunscreen use was 38.7% in parents and 24.1% in their children. Females had higher sunscreen use than males in both parents (49.7% versus 7.2%, p < 0.001) and in children (31.9% versus 18.3%, p = 0.011). The most frequent sunburn protection measures practiced by children were wearing long-sleeved clothes (77.0%), sitting in the shade (70.6%), and wearing hats (39.2%). In multivariable analysis, predictors of sunscreen use in parents included female sex, history of sunburn, and sunscreen use by children. Independent predictors of sunscreen use in children included a history of sunburn, wearing hats, and practicing other sunburn protection measures on risky occasions, and sunscreen use in parents. Sunscreen use in parents and children in Saudi Arabia is still inadequate or limited. This calls for community/school intervention programs using educational activities and multimedia promotion. Further studies are needed.