Altmış Beş Yaş ve Üzeri Bireylerin Güneşten Ekilenim Durumlarının ve Korunma Konusunda Farkındalık Düzeylerinin Belirlenmesi

Abstract

This research was conducted as a descriptive study to determine the levels of impact of the sunlight on 65 years of age and older individuals, to find out how knowledgeable they were and how they behaved in protecting themselves from the harmful effects of the sunlight and to examine the factors which influenced their behaviors. A total of 270 patients over the age of 65 who were admitted to Hacettepe University Adult Hospital Department of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases between 1 March–31 May 2012 were included in this study. As to data collection instrument, a questionnaire prepared by the researcher was used. Questionnaire included questions which intended to find out the patients’ socio-demographic features, health status and risky/health behaviors as well as how knowledgeable they were about their skin type and harmful effects of the sunlight and how they behaved in protecting themselves from these harmful effects. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0 software program was used for data entry and analysis. Chi-square (χ2) test and logistic regression analysis were used in analysis, and statistical significance was determined as p<0,05. Although the participants had high levels of knowledge about the harmful effects of the sunlight, their levels of awareness on protection was not satisfactory, as inferred from their behaviors in protecting themselves from these harmful effects. Individuals who used protection methods in the aim of protection from harmful effects of sunlight, had a higher probability of having sunspots on their skin versus individuals who did not use any protection methods [OR (GA)=8,953 (2,384-33,600); p=0,001]. Besides, individuals who used sunscreen against the sunlight had a higher probability of having sunburn earlier in life than individuals who did not use sunscreen [OR (GA)=2,094 (0,826-5,310); p=0,001]. Results of this study suggest that systematic studies are needed in order to raise awareness of the participants about harmful effects of the sunlight.