Over a quarter of over-55s say they never use sunscreen when out in the sun, while a fifth of women always use it
Every year more people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States than all other forms of cancer combined. The latest research from YouGov Omnibus shows, however, that many Americans don’t take protection from the sun seriously. Only 15% of Americans say that they always use sunscreen when they are out in the sun, 39% say that they ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ use it.
The oldest Americans are the least likely to use sunscreen, with 27% of over-55s saying that they ‘never’ use sunscreen, compared to only 12% of people aged 35 to 54 and 13% of people under the age of 35.
Asked what they would do if they forgot sunscreen on a beach trip, just under half of Americans (48%) say that they would sit in the shade. 40% say that they would go in the sun and just hope for the best. Women (54%) are notably more likely than men (42%) to say that they would sit in the shade.
Despite the risks, and widespread tendency to not frequently use sunscreen, Americans are in love with sunny weather. 54% say that they like sunny weather ‘a lot’, though it is significantly more popular among people from the Midwest (66%) than people from the sunnier South (48%).
Learn more about YouGov Omnibus.
Image: Getty
