Self-reported skin cancer protection strategies and location of skin cancer in retired cricketers: A case study from membership of the Emu Cricket Club

• Published in: Journal of science and medicine in sport Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 441 - 445
• Main Authors: Noble-Jerks, Janelle, Weatherby, Robert P., Meir, Rudi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia Elsevier Ltd 01-12-2006; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Australia; Cricket; Health Behavior; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Retirement; Retrospective Studies; Skin cancer protection strategies; Skin Neoplasms - epidemiology; Skin Neoplasms - prevention & control; Sports; Sunscreening Agents; Surveys and Questionnaires; Australia; Cricket; Skin cancer protection strategies
• ISSN: 1440-2440; 1878-1861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2006.05.027

Cricket is one of Australia's most popular sports with approximately 470,000 registered participants. Played as a summer sport, participants can spend long periods in the sun with potential skin damage a possible contributor to skin cancer. Three hundred and sixty-eight retired regional representative players received and were invited to complete a comprehensive survey that included questions relating to their individual playing history, injury rate, sun protection strategies and reported location of skin cancer. A total of 164 players (mean age 45.2
±
12.1 years) responded to the survey representing a response rate of 44.6%. Of these, 61.6% reported no diagnosis of skin cancer. However, 38.4% had been diagnosed with at least one skin cancer with the most common site being the face followed by the arms. Of those respondents reporting the diagnosis of a skin cancer, 7.9% had skin cancer on 4 or more separate locations. Proportionally, the 45–55 years group had the highest incidence, with 55.8% of this group indicating they had a skin cancer in at least one anatomical location. By comparison those in the under 35 years age group reported an incidence rate of 16.7%. The incidence of skin cancer among respondents (
n
=
63) reporting either,
occasionally,
very rarely or
never wearing sunscreen, a hat or long sleeved shirt was (
n
=
27) 42.9, (
n
=
14) 22.2 and (
n
=
39) 61.9%, respectively. The results suggest that skin protection strategies, such as wearing a wide brimmed hat, long sleeved shirt and the use of sunscreen, may help to reduce the risk of skin cancer in cricketers.