Resistance of Liposomal Sunscreen Formulations against Plain Water as well as Salt Water Exposure and Perspiration

The present in vivo investigation using a total of 30 healthy adult volunteers with Fitzpatrick skin type II examines the persistent efficacy of sunscreens using liposomal suspensions as the vehicle. Based on the COLIPA guidelines, the protective effect of a single application of 4 different liposomal sunscreen formulations (sun protection factors, SPFs: 50+, 30,25 and 15) against sunburn at the recommended amount of 2 mg/cm(2) was determined after exposure of the skin to plain water and salt water and after profuse perspiration. Under the influence of plain water, salt water and sweating, the SPF values of sunscreen 1 (labeled SPF of 50+) were reduced only marginally to 97, 96 and 99%, respectively, those of sunscreen 2 (labeled SPF of 30) to 97, 96 and 99%, respectively, those of sunscreen 3 (labeled SPE of 25) to 90, 83 and 91%, respectively, and those of sunscreen 4 (labeled SPF of 15) to 96, 96 and 95%, respectively. This set of data shows that despite plain water and salt water immersion or profuse sweating, the liposomal sunscreen formulation may deliver a long-lasting protective effect in everyday situations encountered by outdoor workers or during leisure activities. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base

Dying for a tan : explaining intentions to use sunscreen with the theory of planned behaviour, threats to appearance and mortality, and the theory of terror management : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Skin cancer has become one of the most prevalent forms of cancer throughout the world (Arthey & Clarke, 1995), with New Zealand leading the world in both melanoma-related deaths and incidences. It has been indicated that 80 per cent of skin cancers could be avoided through appropriate sun prevention. Decreasing the amount of sun exposure has become the primary objective of skin cancer prevention. The present study applied the variables of the Theory of Planned Behaviour, specifically perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and attitudes, and the additional constructs of conscientiousness and anticipated regret to explain intentions for sunscreen use. An appearance-based intervention and a health-based intervention were investigated to assess changes in intentions to use a sunscreen. Finally, the Theory of Terror Management was examined to assess if this theory could help to explain sunscreen use. To examine the above issues three types of questionnaires (a mortality-based intervention, an appearance-based intervention and a control condition) were administered to beachgoers in New Zealand (N=145) and the United Kingdom (N= 277). The theory of planned behaviour significantly explained 53.1 per cent of participants' intentions to use a sunscreen amongst New Zealand beachgoers, and 44.9 per cent amongst British beachgoers. Specifically, raising an individual's perceived behavioural control, subjective norm and attitude towards sunscreen could be positive ways to increase sunscreen use. Furthermore, the concepts of conscientiousness and anticipated regret explained a further 14.6% and, 10.9% for the New Zealand and British samples respectively. No significant results for the use of mortality and appearance-based interventions were found, and the Theory of Terror Management was not significantly found to explain sunscreen intentions. Despite various limitations, the present research has gained useful information opening the doors for future research

Predicting the cognitive correlates of sun protective behaviour : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Previous research has explored the cognitive correlates of sun protective behaviour and has found that intention to use skin protection is likely to affect an individuals decision to use such behaviour. Other research has used social cognition models such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour to predict the use of sun protective behaviours with mixed results. The present study examined sun protective behaviour on beaches in New Zealand (n=80) and used a modified version of the Jones, Abraham, Harris, Schulz & Chrispin (1998) model of sun protective behaviour to predict sunscreen use. This modified version of the model contained variables from social cognition models, including the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Stage models of Health Behaviour such as that of Gollwitzer (1993). Knowledge, norms, threat likelihood, perceived threat, self-efficacy and motivation to prevent negative effects of sun exposure together accounted for 36.5% of the variance in intention to use sunscreen. The findings also suggest that motivation to prevent negative effects of sun exposure and threat likelihood consistently have the strongest correlational relationship (of all the prior cognitions) with both intention and sunscreen behaviour. A measure of planning did not mediate the effects of intentions on sunscreen use as was originally expected, rather, intentions had the largest effect on sunscreen use. It is reasonable to assume that planning may not always be necessary for the prediction of sunscreen behaviours. It was concluded that a modified version of the sun protective behaviour model may be useful in predicting such behaviours but refinement is required of the model and its measures. Implications for further research and model modification are noted

Starfished in the sand : developing the theory of planned behaviour to predict intentions to use sunscreen on the beach : a research project presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

This study examined the predictive power of the theory of planned behaviour in explaining sunscreen use intentions among beach-goers in New Zealand (n = 148) and the United Kingdom (n = 280). Generally, the theory of planned behaviour performed well with attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control explaining 54.8% (NZ) and 39.5% (UK) of the variability in intention. In addition to the theory of planned behaviour constructs, several other variables were included to enhance the models predictive power. The concepts of descriptive norm, implementation intentions, outcome expectancy, anticipated regret, past behaviour, global self-esteem and conscientiousness were investigated. Implementation intentions, past behaviour and anticipated regret contributed significantly to the theory of planned behaviour in predicting sunscreen use intentions. In addition, partial mediation of the theory of planned behaviour constructs was found by implementation intentions. Interaction effects were evident between past behaviour and perceived behavioural control in the UK sample. Implications for further investigation of the concept of anticipated regret and including a measure of self-identity are discussed

Sunscreens - Which and what for?

It is well established that sun exposure is the main cause for the development of skin cancer. Chronic continuous UV radiation is believed to induce malignant melanoma, whereas intermittent high-dose UV exposure contributes to the occurrence of actinic keratosis as precursor lesions of squamous cell carcinoma as well as basal cell carcinoma. Not only photocarcinogenesis but also the mechanisms of photoaging have recently become apparent. In this respect the use of sunscreens seemed to prove to be more and more important and popular within the last decades. However, there is still inconsistency about the usefulness of sunscreens. Several studies show that inadequate use and incomplete UV spectrum efficacy may compromise protection more than previously expected. The sunscreen market is crowded by numerous products. Inorganic sunscreens such as zinc oxide and titanium oxide have a wide spectral range of activity compared to most of the organic sunscreen products. It is not uncommon for organic sunscreens to cause photocontact allergy, but their cosmetic acceptability is still superior to the one given by inorganic sunscreens. Recently, modern galenic approaches such as micronization and encapsulation allow the development of high-quality inorganic sunscreens. The potential systemic toxicity of organic sunscreens has lately primarily been discussed controversially in public, and several studies show contradictory results. Although a matter of debate, at present the sun protection factor (SPF) is the most reliable information for the consumer as a measure of sunscreen filter efficacy. In this context additional tests have been introduced for the evaluation of not only the protective effect against erythema but also protection against UV-induced immunological and mutational effects. Recently, combinations of UV filters with agents active in DNA repair have been introduced in order to improve photoprotection. This article reviews the efficacy of sunscreens in the prevention of epithelial and nonepithelial skin cancer, the effect on immunosuppression and the value of the SPF as well as new developments on the sunscreen market. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

Exploring Causal Influences

Recent data mining techniques exploit patterns of statistical independence in multivariate data to make conjectures about cause/effect relationships. These relationships can be used to construct causal graphs, which are sometimes represented by weighted node-link diagrams, with nodes representing variables and combinations of weighted links and/or nodes showing the strength of causal relationships. We present an interactive visualization for causal graphs (ICGs), inspired in part by the Influence Explorer. The key principles of this visualization are as follows: Variables are represented with vertical bars attached to nodes in a graph. Direct manipulation of variables is achieved by sliding a variable value up and down, which reveals causality by producing instantaneous change in causally and/or probabilistically linked variables. This direct manipulation technique gives users the impression they are causally influencing the variables linked to the one they are manipulating. In this context, we demonstrate the subtle distinction between seeing and setting of variable values, and in an extended example, show how this visualization can help a user understand the relationships in a large variable set, and with some intuitions about the domain and a few basic concepts, quickly detect bugs in causal models constructed from these data mining techniques

Incidence and public health burden of sunburn among beachgoers in the United States.

The beach environment creates many barriers to effective sun protection, putting beachgoers at risk for sunburn, a well-established risk factor for skin cancer. Our objective was to estimate incidence of sunburn among beachgoers and evaluate the relationship between sunburn incidence and sun-protective behaviors. A secondary analysis, of prospective cohorts at 12 locations within the U.S. from 2003 to 2009 (n = 75,614), were pooled to evaluate sunburn incidence 10-12 days after the beach visit. Behavioral and environmental conditions were cross-tabulated with sunburn incidence. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the association between new sunburn and sun-protective behaviors. Overall, 13.1% of beachgoers reported sunburn. Those aged 13-18 years (16.5%), whites (16.0%), and those at beach locations along the Eastern Seaboard (16.1%), had the highest incidence of sunburn. For those spending ≥5 h in the sun, the use of multiple types of sun protection reduced odds of sunburn by 55% relative to those who used no sun protection (Odds Ratio = 0.45 (95% Confidence Interval:0.27-0.77)) after adjusting for skin type, age, and race. Acute health effects of sunburn tend to be mild and self-limiting, but potential long-term health consequences are more serious and costly. Efforts to encourage and support proper sun-protective behaviors, and increase access to shade, protective clothing, and sunscreen, can help prevent sunburn and reduce skin cancer risk among beachgoers

Personalised electronic messages to improve sun protection in young adults

The incidence of all skin cancers, including melanoma, continues to rise. It is well known that ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main environmental risk factor for skin cancer, and excessive exposure at a young age increases the risk of developing skin cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of delivering sun protection messages via electronic media such as short message services (SMS) to people 18-40 years, and explore factors associated with their acceptability. Overall, 80% of participants agreed that they would like to receive some form of sun protection advice; of these, 20% prefer to receive it via SMS and 42% via email. Willingness to receive electronic messages about the UV index was associated with being unsure about whether a suntanned person would look healthy and greater use of sun protection in the past. Careful attention to message framing and timing of message delivery and focus on short-term effects of sun exposure such as sunburn and skin ageing should increase the acceptability of such messages to young people. We conclude that sun protection messages delivered to young adults via electronic media appear feasible and acceptable

Promoting Skin Cancer Awareness

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the nation and the cost to treat it is around 8 billion dollars a year. Sun exposure is linked to all three types of skin cancer and incidence of melanoma is highest in Caucasians compared to other races. In Brookfield, CT which is comprised of a predominantly Caucasian population, there is a lack of awareness of skin cancer detection and prevention. One of the best ways to promote skin cancer awareness is through education about the different types of skin cancers and sun safety behaviors. The idea is to start the conversation about skin cancer by capturing people’s attention with a visual poster. A poster is multifaceted in that patients can spend time reading it while in the waiting or exam room, can be used as instructional aide by the physician and can be transformed into a miniature handout made available for patients to take home with them. The goal is to promote skin cancer awareness so skin cancer can be detected and treated in a timely manner and patients are equipped with tips on how to minimize sun exposure.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/fmclerk/1307/thumbnail.jp