BOCA RATON, Fla. — When was the last time you got a sunburn? If you’re like nearly a third of American adults who were toasted by the sun at least once last year, you might want to pay attention to a revealing new study about skin cancer risk. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University have found some eye-opening patterns in how Americans think about cancer risk and protect their skin—or don’t.
Your beach cocktail might be making your sunburn worse. Research published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine reveals that more than one in five people who got sunburned were drinking alcohol at the time. In other words, there seems to be a real connection between having drinks and getting burned.
The Skin Cancer Problem You Need to Know About
Skin cancer tops the charts as America’s most common cancer. Millions of cases are diagnosed every year, costing the healthcare system nearly $9 billion annually. While most of us have heard of melanoma (the deadliest type), basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are actually more common.
Despite how common skin cancer is, the study found most Americans aren’t particularly worried about getting it. Only about 10% of people said they were “extremely worried,” while most were just “somewhat” (28.3%) or “slightly” (27.3%) concerned.
Sunburns significantly raise your cancer risk. According to dermatologists, getting just five blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 increases your melanoma risk by a whopping 80%. That’s a massive jump from something many people experience regularly.
Who Gets Burned? The Surprising Patterns
The research team surveyed over 6,000 American adults about their sun habits and sunburn experiences. Rich people get more sunburns. Yes, you read that correctly. People earning $200,000+ per year were four times more likely to report sunburns than those in the lowest income bracket. This completely flips what you might expect: wouldn’t wealthier people be more informed and have better access to sun protection?
Education doesn’t help either. College graduates and those with advanced degrees reported more sunburns than people with a high school diploma or less.
Other patterns:
- Young adults (18-39) burn more often than older folks
- Men get more sunburns than women
- White Americans report more sunburns than Black or Hispanic Americans
