KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to evaluate long-term sun protection efficacy post-transplantation through patient behavior assessment following education intervention.
- The results revealed improved sun protection but emphasized the need for sustained behavior change.
Organ transplant recipients (OTR) face an elevated risk of skin cancer compared to the general population due to factors such as long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation, a key element of the exposome, significantly contributes to skin tumor development.
Therefore, sun protection education is necessary to mitigate the adverse effects of sun exposure in this patient group.
Vanessza Tári and the team spearheaded a study that aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of sun protection education on sun-safe behavior in organ transplant recipients.
In a prior study, researchers evaluated the sun-safe behavior of 221 OTR through pre- and post-transplantation questionnaires. Patients received personalized sun protection education. Subsequently, no additional reminder sessions were conducted. They surveyed 176 of these patients to gauge the enduring impact of the earlier sun protection education.
The results revealed that 2 to 4 years after the education, more patients wore hats and protected their skin with long-sleeved clothing than before the education. Additionally, both occupational and recreational sun exposure decreased significantly.
Furthermore, significantly fewer people went on holiday after transplantation, but those who did spend significantly less time in the sun.
The enduring benefits of education were evident in patients’ adherence to sun protection and modification of sun-seeking behaviors. However, the ultimate objective remains to sustain these outcomes to diminish the risk of skin tumors and associated mortality.
No funding-related information was available.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38616381/
Tári V, Janka EA, Emri G, et al. (2024) “Effect of education on sun-safe behaviour in kidney transplant recipients.” Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2024 May;40(3):e12966. doi: 10.1111/phpp.12966. PMID: 38616381.
