International Journal Of Occupational Health and Public Health Nursing

The knowledge and practices of cleaning workers concerning sun protection

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• Abstract

  This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and practices of cleaning workers concerning sun protection. This descriptive study was conducted in Izmir in April, 2010. The population of the study consisted of the 200 cleaning workers at the municipality of Bornova, 132 of whom were included in the sample. The data were collected using a questionnaire form developed by the researchers (23 closed-ended questions). The questionnaire included questions concerning the socio-demographic characteristics of workers (8), their knowledge about sun protection (8), and their sun protection practices (7). The workers were all males with a mean age of 40.20 ± 2.05. Of the participants, 91.7% stated that protection from sun was necessary, and 79.5% said they knew about the dangerous effects of sun exposure. The number of workers who knew about the reflectors that augment the impact of sun exposure was 25 (18.9%). Only 12 workers (9.1%) knew about all the factors increasing the risk of skin cancer, namely pale skin, moles, a lifelong history of working in the sun for extended periods, a history of sunburn, and a history of skin cancer in the family. The most preferred way of protecting oneself from sun was using sunscreen (33.4%), while the least preferred way was wearing thin clothing covering the whole body (0.8%). It was found that sunscreen was applied most to the face (51.8%). It was determined that the practices of cleaning workers concerning sun protection were not sufficient.