Abstract
Background: Lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects various body systems and results in a wide range of clinical symptoms, including photosensitivity. Sun exposure/UV light is a well-known factor for disease activity. Therefore, photoprotective measures are used in patients with lupus erythematosus. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of sunscreen use, limitations and association with disease flares among patients with lupus erythematosus at King Fahad University Hospital, Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on patients with lupus erythematosus at King Fahad University Hospital between January and March 2022. Results: A total of 146 patients with lupus erythematosus participated in the study and the prevalence of sunscreen use was found to be 46.6% in the week before completing the survey. The study also showed that patients who were young, female, married, had a higher education level and had experienced an increased number of lupus erythematosus flares tended to use sunscreen more often. On the other hand, the most common barrier to sunscreen use was finding it inconvenient; 80% of those who found it inconvenient did not use it in the week prior the questionnaire (p=0.001), followed by those who believed that sunscreen did not prevent lupus erythematosus flares (74.7%, p=0.002) and those who found sunscreen to be expensive (63.0%, p=0.014). Conclusion: This study revealed a low prevalence of sunscreen use among patients with lupus erythematosus. Therefore, efforts should be done to raise the awareness of importance of sunscreen use among patients.