Image: Alexis Nyal, Flickr
Most Australians are familiar with the 'slip, slop, slap' message, but new research suggests we're not taking sun safety seriously enough. Currently, health agencies recommend that sun protection is used when the UV Index - which measures the intensity of UV radiation - is three or higher. But researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) and New Zealand's National Institute of Water & Atmosphere Research (NIWA) have found there needs to be a greater focus on how long we're spending outdoors. "What this study shows it that when the UV Index is lower than three, it is still possible to get sunburnt. The message that you don't need to use sun protection when the UV Index is less than three is incorrect," Professor Robyn Lucas from the ANU Research School of Population Heath said. "For example, if you are outdoors for a few hours on a winter's day playing golf, it is easy to exceed the dose of UV radiation that will cause a sunburn." The study found that on average, cities like Melbourne only have two days a year where there is insufficient UV radiation to get a sunburn. "Most days of the year, even as far south as Melbourne, it will be possible to get a sunburn if you stay outside most of the day.
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