22.2% of parents skip sun protection outside summer

Mallorca, 6 October: 22.2% of parents surveyed across Spain skip sun protection outside summer, while children get sun at school and in parks. The Spanish Association Against Cancer presented the findings on the island on Tuesday. They draw on interviews with 3,048 mothers and fathers in families with children under 15.

The association says people receive 60% of their solar radiation outside the summer months.

Sun at school and in the park

Children under 15 spend more time in the sun than their parents, the study finds. Some 73.5% are exposed in parks and play areas, while 64.1% are exposed at school, including during breaks and trips.

Doctor Lucía Galán says those everyday exposures add up. Children’s skin is particularly vulnerable, she says, and habits formed in childhood tend to last.

Why parents go without protection

Outside summer, 77.8% of the parents surveyed take some form of sun protection. Among those who do not, 45% say they see no need for it. The study also finds that 62.4% of respondents consider a tan desirable, while one in three sees it as a sign of health.

The association points to a 40% rise in skin cancer cases in Spain over the past four years, with more than 15,000 cases in 2024. It says ultraviolet radiation directly causes between 80% and 95% of cases. Its message from Mallorca is to make sun protection a habit beyond summer.

Topics: Education · Health · Culture

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com