Adults 'can't judge sunburn risk'

Many adults do not know how much sun is safe

Only a fraction of adults can accurately assess the risk of sunburn, a government survey has found.

The research looked at public knowledge of the "Solar UV Index", which gives the levels of dangerous UV radiation.

Prolonged exposure to strong sunlight is a known risk factor in skin cancer - the second most common cancer in the UK.

And the elderly were most at risk - they, according to the survey, were least likely to understand warnings about high UV levels and sunburn risk.

People with pale skin which tends not to tan are most at risk from UV radiation.

But even those with black skin are at some risk from prolonged exposure to very high UV levels.

In order to gauge people's true knowledge about sunburn risk, researchers asked them if they had seen the sunburn forecast on the weather report, and asked what the risk of burning was when the Solar UV level was given as six.

Only 7% of adults knew what that figure meant for their own skin type.

Changing behaviour

Another one in five said they thought they were able to understand the figure - but did not.

Many of those who understood the Solar UV rating system had actually changed their behaviour to protect themselves.

They had increased their sunscreen use, kept out of the sun as much as possible, and were sunbathing less.

While the link between sun and skin cancer is well known, the protection offered by sunscreen has not been proven, say skin cancer experts.

Some theorise that people actually spend longer in the sun because the lotion gives them a false sense of security.

While skin cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed, the most dangerous form, malignant melanoma, is fairly infrequent compared to other cancers.

This type of cancer is more prone to spreading to other organs, making it far harder to treat.