Patient knowledge of FDA-mandated sunscreen labeling terminology: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient understanding of sunscreen labeling terminology is a barrier to effective use. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the "final rule" on sunscreen labeling in 2011, in an effort to promote effective usage. However, relatively little is known about patient knowledge of sunscreen labeling terminology. This study assesses the sunscreen labeling knowledge of dermatology patients, with an emphasis on understanding of the FDA-mandated wording. METHODS: A validated survey was administered to consecutive dermatology office patients. Respondents answered questions about sunscreen use practices, sunscreen knowledge, and demographics. To assess their sunscreen knowledge, they responded to questions on the concepts of sun protection factor, broad-spectrum, and waterproof. RESULTS: A total of 334 patients completed surveys. Only 8.7% of patients correctly answered all three questions related to sunscreen labeling terminology. Patients with a personal history of skin cancer were more likely to answer more than half of the questions correctly (P = 0.004). Older persons and those with darker skin types were most likely to answer all questions incorrectly. CONCLUSION: General understanding of sunscreen labeling was poor, and a minority of consumers comprehended the key features of sunscreen labeling. This knowledge gap appeared to be slightly smaller in the subpopulation of patients with a personal history of skin cancer.

The Roles for Prior Visual Experience and Age on the Extraction of Egocentric Distance.

OBJECTIVES: In a well-lit room, observers can generate well-constrained estimates of the distance to an object on the floor even with just a fleeting glimpse. Performance under these conditions is typically characterized by some underestimation but improves when observers have previewed the room. Such evidence suggests that information extracted from longer durations may be stored to contribute to the perception of distance at limited time frames. Here, we examined the possibility that this stored information is used differentially across age. Specifically, we posited that older adults would rely more than younger adults on information gathered and stored at longer glimpses to judge the distance of briefly glimpsed objects. METHOD: We collected distance judgments from younger and older adults after brief target glimpses. Half of the participants were provided 20-s previews of the testing room in advance; the other half received no preview. RESULTS: Performance benefits were observed for all individuals with prior visual experience, and these were moderately more pronounced for the older adults. DISCUSSION: The results suggest that observers store contextual information gained from longer viewing durations to aid in the perception of distance at brief glimpses, and that this memory becomes more important with age.