Dark Side of the Sun - Mothers Concerned

They may already be disappearing into memory for most of us, but August's record temperatures have contributed to growing concern among British mothers about the effects of strong sunlight on their children's skin, according to the latest data from TNS Omnimas.

More than 90 per cent of mothers of children aged up to 15 years old believe that children should 'always be protected from the sun during outdoor activities'. Nearly eight out of 10 (79%) say that they are 'very concerned by the long-term effects of sun exposure on children's skin'.

Despite widespread media coverage of the issue, more than a third (38%) of mothers still think that there is not enough information available on the topic, and consequently, 42 per cent have concerns about the safety of sunscreens when used on children's skin. Cynicism prevails about specialist child versions of sunscreen brands - just under half (49%) believe that they actually offer better protection than normal products.

According to Alex Seron, SRE at TNS Consumer Omnibus Division, 'A number of recent, high profile media campaigns have been successful in raising people's awareness about this serious issue - 58 per cent of mothers now agree that failure to protect children from sun exposure is equivalent to 'physical neglect'. However, Britons are still not used to dealing with the issue of prolonged periods of strong sunlight in their own country and need to understand better the differences between waterproof sunscreens with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor), physical or chemical free sun blocks and products based on a hypoallergenic formula'.

The research was conducted, between 8 and 12 August 2003, via the TNS Omnimas, a random location, face-to-face Omnibus survey, using a sample of 375 mothers of children aged 0-15 years across Britain.

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

• Kantar TNS
• All news
• MrWeb info