Implementation of the SunSmart program and population sun protection behaviour in Melbourne Australia

Cancer Council Victoria's Sun Protection Survey (SPS) has provided comprehensive data to assess the prevalence of sun-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviours and sunburn among the population in Victoria since 1987. These data have been used to inform and evaluate the implementation of SunSmart, the long-running skin cancer prevention program in Victoria. The surveys were conducted on behalf on Cancer Council Australia as part of a larger national survey in the later years (2003-2017). Essentially equivalent methods were used across all survey years. The methods described here pertain to the data prepared for a manuscript entitled "Implementation of the SunSmart program and population sun protection behaviour in Melbourne Australia". The study used a cross-sectional (observational) design, recruiting on a weekly basis a representative sample of Victorian adolescents (14-17 years) and adults (18-69 years) to telephone interviews during the summer months. Survey data for 14 summers between 1987 and 2017 are available for analysis. The detailed measures focus on respondents' activities, behaviour and sunburn on the weekend or public holiday prior to the respondents' interview. Interviews were held within two to four days of the reported behaviour to minimise recall bias. The behavioural measures which focused on a specific time and location enabled linkage with weather and UV records for Melbourne on the dates relevant to the respondents' reported behaviour. The specific data appended were: (i) the 3pm temperature and mean UV Index between 11am-3pm (DST) for the weekend date; and (ii) the number of days of rainfall (1mm or more), number of days of heavy cloud cover (6 oktas or more), and median 3pm temperature over the past month.