Abstract

FALCON LINCHETA, Leopoldina  and  MARTINEZ CARDOSO, Bettsy. Skin lesions caused by sunlight and their influence on quality of life. Rev Cub Med Mil [online]. 2012, vol.41, n.3, pp. 248-255. ISSN 0138-6557.

Introduction: recent years have witnessed an increase in the number of dermatological lesions on skin areas exposed to sunlight, as a result of the depletion of the ozone layer. Sun damage varies with skin type, and affects the subjects' quality of life. Objectives: determine sun-related skin damage by skin phototype and its relationship to quality of life in sea workers. Methods: Descriptive study of 204 sea workers. All underwent clinical and dermatological examination as well as measurement of their quality of life through the General Quality of Life Questionnaire. Results: most subjects had sun-related skin damage and deterioration of their quality of life. Phototypes IV, V and III were predominant, and the most common diagnoses were lentigos and photoaging. The most affected areas were physical health and psychological health. Conclusions: sea workers show damage to their physical health due to their lengthy exposure to sunlight, which in turn affects their psychological health, particularly their self-esteem and mood. The combination of these factors negatively affects their quality of life and should be taken into account in the work strategies designed by their managers.

Keywords : sun damage; skin phototypes; quality of life.

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