New Study reveals misconceptions among Ontario Youth in their understanding of Melanoma and Sun Safety

Toronto, ON, March 26, 2019 — According to a new Ipsos study conducted for the Melanoma Network of Canada there are large gaps in Ontario youth’s (15-29 years old) understanding of melanoma and impacts of sun exposure on the skin as well as in the knowledge and attitudes towards sun safety and protection efforts.

Fewer than half report they regularly take steps to protect their skin from the sun, even during the sunny summer months, and a majority (59%) have experienced a severe sunburn before, an important risk factor for the development of melanoma.

The survey also revealed that Ontario youth lack confidence in their knowledge about melanoma and how to detect it. With fewer than half (45%) of youth feeling confident in their ability to recognize melanoma and only three in ten (30%) checking their skin monthly or more often and 25% not checking their skin at all.

According to the survey, which polled respondents across Ontario, Canadian youth are surprisingly mixed in their knowledge of melanoma and sun protection efforts:

• Misconceptions exist about sun safety among youth
  • Six in ten (60%) believe exposure to the sun is the best way to get vitamin D
  • Half of youth think sunscreen can include ingredients which are harmful to the environment (55%) or their body (49%)
• Most youth do not regularly apply sunscreen regardless of the season
  • During the sunny summer months, four in ten (39%) report they regularly apply moisturizer/ make-up with SPF in the morning while only one-third (34%) apply sunscreen. Considerably fewer do so in the summer when it is cloudy (31% and 27% respectively) or in the winter months (27% and 17%) even though UV exposure from sun is still a very real risk.
• Youth are not confident in their knowledge about skin cancer and melanoma and how to detect it
  • 50% of respondents noted they didn’t know that the rates of melanoma were on the rise and 42% weren’t aware that melanoma was the most aggressive (and potentially deadly) form of skin cancer
• Youth want to learn more about sun safety
  • Seven in ten (69%) want to learn more about how to prevent skin cancer and two-thirds (64%) want to learn more about pre-mature aging

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between December 17th – December 31st 2018, on behalf of the Melanoma Network of Canada (MNC). For this survey, a sample of 1,000 Ontarians aged 15 to 29 was interviewed online via the Ipsos I-Say panel and non-panel sources. Quota sampling and weighting were employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the actual population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Ontarians in this segment been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Michael Howell
Vice President, Canada, Public Affairs
Ipsos
+1 416 572-4407
[email protected]

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.
With offices in 89 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.
Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,780.5 million in 2017.