New YouGov research, carried out on behalf of Cancer Research UK, reveals that 35% of Britain have been sunburnt on home turf in the past year.
YouGov’s study shows that despite the majority (92%) knowing that too much exposure to UV radiation increases the risk of skin cancer, more than a third (35%) of Brits have been sunburnt.
The research found that older people are less likely than younger people to have been sunburnt. Almost half of 18-24 year olds (47%) and 25-35 year olds (49%) have ‘caught the sun’ in the last year compared to just under a quarter (23%) of over-55s. Also, around a quarter of 25-34 year olds (24%) had been sunburnt late spring /early summer this year.
The findings also show that only 18% of UK adults avoid going out in strong sun. Of those who do, only a third (34%) make sure to spend time in the shade and a quarter (25%) always re-apply sun screen of at least factor 15 regularly throughout the day, or cover up (25%). Sunglasses (72%), t-shirt (60%) and hat (58%) were the most common ways to protect against strong sun.
