Almost half of Hongkongers don’t use sunscreen, survey finds
With a rise in the number of skin cancer cases, experts warn this is cause for alarm
Almost half of Hongkongers failed to use sunscreen products, a survey has shown, amid a rise in the number of skin cancer patients in the past decade.
The survey, commissioned by the Hong Kong Skin Health Foundation and conducted by the University of Hong Kong, revealed that 48 per cent of the 459 local residents interviewed did not use sunscreen products to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.
The findings were a cause for concern as the number of skin cancer patients each year, according to the Hospital Authority’s Cancer Registry, has increased from 656 in 2004 to 1,092 in 2013.
Dr Kingsley Chan Hau-ngai, the foundation’s chairman said: “This condition is serious and worth public concern,” adding that the statistics reflect an alarming rate of increase.
Chan, a private dermatologist, said the harmful effects of UV radiation on the skin, which can be reduced by usage of sunscreen products, is cumulative.
The risk exists even when indoors with glass windows, which cannot fully block exposure to radiation. But only 24 per cent of those surveyed said they would apply sunscreen both indoors and outdoors.