05 | 10 | 2008 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Outdoor Workers Less Likely to Be Screened for Skin Cancer: New Study

Those who routinely work outdoors in the sun face a higher rate of skin cancer due to repeated overexposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.  Recent research, however, has found that outdoor workers such as those in construction, forestry, fishing and farming fields are among the least likely people to be screened by medical professionals for skin cancer.

The study, recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, uses National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 2000 and 2005 to determine the percentage of U.S. workers who had ever had a thorough skin examination in their lifetime, or alternatively, during an appointment with a primary health care provider during the previous 12 months.  All participants who reported a full-body skin examination were grouped into 2 categories - those who had received an exam in the previous 12 months,  and those who had ever had such an exam in their lifetime.

Data was examined for 38,124 total workers who were interviewed from the 2000 and 2005, and the results indicate that only 15% of all U.S. workers reported ever receiving a skin examination during their lifetime.  Only 8% of those who also had seen a health care provider in the previous year reported that they had received a skin exam during that visit.  The data also clearly showed that the rate of reporting skin cancer screening was lowest for high-risk occupations most likely to experience increased sun exposure.

Authors of the study note that socioeconomic factors also were strong predictors of having a skin exam in the past year.  Younger black or Hispanic women with no health insurance, who were service, farm or blue-collar workers, and who didn't use sun protection were the very least likely to report ever having been screened for skin cancer.  They would also be among the most at-risk workers.  The researchers advise that all patients, especially those that have occupations where they are exposed to UV light, should request that their physician provide skin exams during each one of their routine health exams.

Authors of the study also advise that developing and implementing local community health fairs that include screening programs targeting high-risk workers who are reporting low skin examination rates could help reverse the trend.

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted articles related to:

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