A cross-sectional survey on knowledge, attitude, and practice of sunscreen usage among medical undergraduate students

Objectives: Skin cancers and photoaging are major consequences of excessive sun exposure. Sunscreen plays a crucial role in mitigating these risks. Despite the availability of sunscreen, its use is often suboptimal due to varying levels of awareness and practices. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of sunscreen usage among undergraduate students in a medical college in North Kerala. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among undergraduate students from various courses, including medical, dental, nursing, and paramedical. A structured questionnaire assessed demographic details, knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding sunscreen usage. Chi-square tests and Fischer’s exact tests were used to assess associations between variables, and P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 594 students participated, with the majority being females (85.4%). MBBS students showed the highest level of knowledge and practice, whereas nursing and paramedical students lagged significantly. Better knowledge was significantly associated with female gender ( P = 0.026) and study in MBBS students ( P < 0.001). Among students with poor practices, 56.7% had poor knowledge. Conversely, 73.9% of students with better practices had better knowledge ( P < 0.001). Limitations: As this study was solely conducted on undergraduate students, its results cannot be generalised to the broader population. In addition, since it used a questionnaire survey method, recall bias could be a potential limitation. Conclusion: This study highlights significant gaps in the knowledge, attitude, and practice of sunscreen usage among undergraduate students, particularly in non-medical disciplines. Improving sunscreen awareness among medical undergraduates is crucial.