ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Sunbathing on the beach is one of the main risks for skin cancer. OBJECTIVE: In the summer of 2010, a skin cancer prevention campaign aimed at beachgoers was undertaken on the western Costa del Sol (southern Spain). METHODS: The campaign took place on beaches during July and August. A multicomponent intervention was conducted by a dermatologist and other healthcare professionals, including: (1) interviews about risk factors and sun protection habits; (2) full skin examination using dermoscopy; (3) health advice plus educational brochure; (4) sunscreen workshop plus free samples; and (5) survey about satisfaction and behavioral intentions. A journalism and health prize was offered to encourage mass media coverage. RESULTS: Four hundred and seven beachgoers (56% tourists) were recruited during the campaign, mean age 45 years. Most of the participants reported high-risk sun exposure and revealed high rates of clinically suspicious lesions of skin cancer (8.1%), melanoma (2.9%), actinic keratosis (10.2%), and atypical nevus (7.6%). The campaign was highly appreciated by the participants and followed not only by local but also regional and national media. CONCLUSION: Beachgoers are a strategic target to prevent skin cancer. Beaches are also suitable places to develop a skin cancer prevention campaign, allowing direct access to the high-risk population for surveying, health behavior education, and screening. Several keys may be useful to optimize results as the design of a personalized intervention of proven efficacy, provision of a trained healthcare team, and development of an attractive strategy for the mass media.
Subject(s)
Bathing Beaches , Carcinoma, Basal Cell/diagnosis , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Promotion/methods , Melanoma/diagnosis , Skin Neoplasms/prevention & control , Adult , Aged , Early Detection of Cancer , Eyeglasses , Female , Health Education , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Keratosis, Actinic/diagnosis , Male , Mass Media , Middle Aged , Nevus/pathology , Protective Clothing , Skin Neoplasms/diagnosis , Spain , Sunburn/prevention & control , Sunscreening Agents , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: A major problem in hospitals is that of falls, which can seriously reduce patients' quality of life. Fall rates vary considerably depending on health care practices, the hospital environment and the measurement method used. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of hospitalized acute patients who suffer falls, by analysing the distribution and the profile of these patients. METHODS: This is an analytic cross-sectional study conducted at a Spanish hospital. All patients who suffered a fall during hospitalization in 2011 were studied by analysing the computerized register of falls. Downton index, circumstances and consequences of falls were analysed. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: The frequency of falls was 0.64%. The rate of falls increased with age (mean age: 71.06 years). The highest percentage occurred among patients in the medical care area (63.7%). The probability of suffering a fall was 1.33 times higher among men than women. Differences in age, type of risk of fall and circumstances were found, depending on the type of hospitalization. Multivariate analysis revealed that patients in the medical care area suffered more falls with consequences: 7.01 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34-36.79], as did the patients classified as 'low risk': 2.40 (CI 95%: 1.02-5.65). CONCLUSIONS: Falls have diverse causes. Determining these circumstances can contribute to promoting a culture of prevention and to reducing the injuries provoked by falls. Notification procedures should be standardized in order to enable comparisons among different environments.
