Knowledge and Use of Sunscreens among Traders at an Urban Market in Lagos, Nigeria

Introduction: Public health awareness on sun-protection practices especially sunscreen use is established in developed countries compared with some other tropical African countries. Open-market traders in Nigeria, who typically have black skin, spend up to 8 hours in daylight with unprotected sun exposure. Aim: To determine prevalence of the knowledge of sunscreen use and to discover if adequate and appropriate sunscreen use is practiced by market traders. Methods: Cross-sectional study on 307 consenting traders at Sandgrouse Market in Lagos, Nigeria. Demographic data and responses to questions on sun exposure and its effects, knowledge and use of sunscreen, source of knowledge, and frequency of application were documented with a predesigned study questionnaire. Data were analyzed with SPSS 22. Results: More females (207; 67.4%) were observed and the mean age was 42.7 ± 12.8 years, though most were within the 35- to 39-year age range. One-third (102; 33.2%) were unaware that sun exposure could damage the skin and only 30 (9.8%) were aware of or knew what sunscreen meant. Commercials or advertisements were the most common source of knowledge and females were significantly more aware of sunscreens (P = 0.018). Conclusion: There is poor knowledge and awareness of the use of sunscreen among urban market traders in Nigeria who have prolonged unprotected exposure during their daily activities. Females were significantly more aware of sunscreens than males but there was no significant difference in the use pattern.