This study has the purpose to provide a fundamental data for skin protection from damage of ultraviolet rays(henceforth UV-rays), by examining the degree of young adult’s recognition of sun-exposure and their sunscreen activities. The subject of survey in this study are 280 Korean young adults.
The questionnaire are made up of 38 questions from various literatures and they are sorted by the subject’s general character, cosmetic experience and attitude for cosmetics, degree of sun-exposure, recognizing degree for sunscreen products and using patterns, the recognition of sunlight damage. The surveyed data was statistically treated by SPSS and for frequency analysis, percentage, ranging analysis, relationality and inter-relationality(or inter-dependency) between the two standard variables, χ2 (kai-square) test is used. Statistically when p-value is lower than 0.05, it is meaningful.
The results of this study are as follows.
1. In their responses, 61.4% began to makeup earlier than they are 19 years old and the most interested ingredients in buying cosmetics are whitening(34.3%), water- supplying(24.3%), UV-rays-blocking(11.8%) and the rest in order. Among who think their skins are bright or white, 0% of the male subjects and 13.5% of the female subjects are interested in UV-rays-blocking ingredient in buying cosmetics.
2. In their recognition of the relation between sunlight and health, 205 subjects (73.2%) out of 280 subjects think that sunlight may be either good or harmful for health. On the effect of UV-rays on skin health, 160 subjects(57.1%) think them harmful and 79 subjects(28.3%) think them either good or harmful.
3. For the reason of using UV-rays-blocking products, 250 subjects(89.2%) use it to prevent sunburn, tanning and skin-aging. On the other hand, only 88 subjects(31.4%) know the meaning of SPF in UV-rays-blocking products and 133 subjects(47.5%) do not.
4. UV-rays-blocking products, 214 subjects(76.8%) have used more than once or are using presently. For the question of using time of UV-rays-blocking products, 110 subjects(39.3%) use it in summer only, 50(17.9%) in sports activities, 37(13.2%) in every morning, 17(6.1%) on clean and bright days, and 12 subjects(4.3%) use it following their moods. Particularly in sports activities, only 8 subjects re-cover their skin by the products after much sweating.
5. The subjects get some informations about UV-rays from people around them (32.1%), TV/radio(31.8%), magazines(18.6%) or educations(7.1%)
6. On their skin-brightness and using a UV-blocking products, both male and female do not have meaningful answers(p>0.05).
From the results above, we know that the subjects recognize and understand well about the effects of sun-exposure on skin but they lack of understanding of a right way for skin protection from harmful things. Thus they don’t use a UV-rays-blocking products well. While skin-brightness has close relationship with sensitivity for sunlight, the subjects in this study think their skins rather bright but they don’t show a usage of a UV-rays-blocking products.
Regardless of increased UV-rays accumulated with increased life expectancy, increased harmful UV-rays by the collapse of the ozone layer, though not in bright skin type, the long-term reactions by long exposure to sunlight, such as sunlight-aging, skin cancer are considered more dangerous matters that acute reaction by short exposure, such as a pigmentary deposit, erythema. Therefore it is required to recognize and understand the meaning of a UV-blocking products, a proper SPF, the right usage of it, and so on.
In the survey and examination, the subjects are supposed to recognize and understand the meaning of a UV-blocking products well but not that of SPF. This may be because they get an information about UV-rays from people around, TV, radio, newspapers, or magazines, not from well-established organizations. Therefore educations and campaign of the damage from UV-rays, which lasts one’s life, and its blocking methods should be given from early school periods. In addition, by providing available programs through accessible media, the public education and informations should be given.