Introduction: The Ultraviolet Index (UVI) is a scale used to predict the amount of UV radiation reaching the ground in a given area. The UVI can be used to plan outdoor activities to prevent overexposure to UV radiation which can cause sunburn and increase skin cancer risk. The purpose of this study is to examine awareness and use of the UVI among U.S. adults.
Methods: Survey questions on awareness and use of the UVI were added to the 2020 Porter Novelli SummerStyles Survey (N =4,053), an online panel survey weighted to match U.S. Current Population Survey (CPS) proportions of the U.S. adult population.
Results: Over 75% of participants had seen or heard about the UVI, primarily through television (41.6%) or a weather app (30.4%). Of these participants, only 6.7% had actively checked the UVI in the past month. More than half of participants who had actively checked UVI in the past month reported that doing so prompted them to use sunscreen (73.9%), limit their time outdoors when the UVI was high (60.6%), and seek shade (55.9%). In contrast, 10.1% of these participants reported intentionally going outside when the UVI was at a certain level to get a tan.
Conclusion: Although most participants were aware of the UVI, few reported actively checking it. While most used it in a way that likely reduced their UV exposure, a small percentage used the tool for outdoor tanning. Increasing use of the UVI may reduce total UV exposure.