Abstract
Background: Unprotected prolonged sun exposure is a major risk factor for a variety of skin conditions. Unprotected long term UV exposure can cause chronic skin conditions like hyperpigmentation, skin ageing and skin cancer. The main preventive measure to avoid skin damage brought on by exposure to the sun is sun protection throughout the daytime by using sunscreen. Due to a lack of studies, few Saudi Arabians are aware of the need to utilize sun protection. Methodology: Hence a descriptive cross-sectional community-based survey was conducted from June to August 2022 to find out how people feel about the sun and how often they use sun protection. 303 (20.2%) students from the Central region, 611 (40.7%) students from the Northern region, Western region: 255 (17%), Eastern region: 170 (11.3%) and Southern region: 162 (10.8%) and 1501 students overall completed the survey questionnaire. 804 (53.6%) of the total student body of 1071 were medical college students. Result: Overall, 975 students (65%) had strong understanding of sun exposure and sunscreen, while 526 students (35%) had inadequate knowledge. However, 61.9% of respondents rejected the idea that face covering (hijab, niqab or mask) is sufficient to replace sun protection products and 68.6% rejected the idea that sunscreen is bad for the skin. Conclusion: In order to educate the public about the link between sun exposure and skin ageing and skin cancer, this study intends to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and behavior of university students in Saudi Arabia toward sun exposure and the usage of sun protection.