Kids + beaches = sunburn
If you’re saving up for your annual trip to the beach or live near the coast and spend most weekends building sandcastles and collecting shells, you might want to know that vacationing at the shore led to a 5% increase in moles (nevi) among 7-year-old children, according to new research. Moles are a major risk factor for malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. Melanoma rates have been rising dramatically over recent decades, with more than 62,000 Americans diagnosed with melanoma each year.
The study was conducted among children who lived in Colorado, but lead author Lori Crane, PhD, MPH, chair of the Department of Community and Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, says the findings are applicable worldwide. “Parents of young children need to be cautious about taking their kids on vacations that are going to be sun-intensive at waterside locations, where people are outside for whole days at a time in skin-exposing swimsuits,” she says.
She adds that parents often mistakenly believe that sunscreen is a cure-all. Although it does offer some protection, it can make it more likely that kids will just stay out in the sun longer, thus increasing their risk. And previous research suggests that many parents don’t apply it properly (or even use it at all). “We recommend that, for young children, parents keep the kids involved in indoor activities from 10am to 4pm to decrease risk, or if they are to be outside, that they wear shirts with sleeves,” says Crane.
Crane and colleagues examined 681 white children born in 1998 who were lifetime residents of Colorado. Vacation histories were assessed by interview and skin exams were used to evaluate the development of moles. Researchers observed that each waterside vacation one or more years prior to the exam at age 7 was linked to a 5% increase in moles less than two mm in size. “Daily sun exposure at home did not seem to be related to the number of moles, while waterside vacations were. Vacations may impart some unique risk for melanoma,” says Crane.
Crane and colleagues also found that young boys had a 19% higher risk than young girls for mole development. “This may be due to an increased likelihood among boys to want to stay outdoors,” says Crane. Finally, higher incomes were associated with greater risk, as those with higher incomes were more likely to take waterside vacations.
The paper is published in
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.