To tan or not to tan?

By Warren Gamble

More New Zealanders now stay out of the sun than those who worship it.

The sun-smart message pushed in recent years appears to be behind results in the New Zealand Herald-DigiPoll survey which reveal that 34.4 per cent have stopped basking outdoors and 32 per cent have never sunbathed.

Only 33.2 per cent of the 663 adults questioned were confirmed sunbathers.

Of the sunbathing third, 77.7 per cent said they indulged less than a few years ago, 13.2 per cent said they sunbathed as much and 6.8 per cent had stepped up exposure.

The Cancer Society said the results were encouraging, but a big improvement was still needed in sun behaviour.

Its 1997 national survey had a similar result to the Herald-DigiPoll finding in that about a third of the population still attempt to get a tan by sunbathing.

Belinda McLean, the society's spokeswoman on melanoma prevention, said there was a trend to less sunbathing, but not necessarily less sunburn.

The society's poll had shown more people were getting burned than in a similar 1994 survey, but largely inadvertently during activities such as watching sport.

"People have got the message about sunbathing, but they are still getting burned without realising it because it can happen so quickly."

Belinda McLean said melanoma still killed about 200 New Zealanders a year.

One group yet to get the message were young women who had entrenched attitudes to tanning. The society was encouraging them to use self-tanning products.

The best advice was still to cover up with hats and shirts.

The Herald-DigiPoll survey showed younger people, men and those on high incomes made up the biggest proportion of sunbathers.

Almost half (45.5 per cent) of those aged 18 to 39 said they sunbathed, compared with 22.4 per cent of those aged 40 and over.

More than 40 per cent of the older age group had stopped sunbathing.

Aucklanders (41.3) had by far the biggest proportion of sunbathers, followed by Wellington (36), the Waikato-Bay of Plenty (31), down to Christchurch (21.8).

Almost half of Christchurch residents and 40 per cent of Northlanders had given up.

More men (35.3) than women (31.2) sunbathed, while 41 per cent of women had given up.

Of those with household incomes of more than $67,000, 42.9 per cent sunbathed, compared with only 26.4 per cent of households earning under $19,000.

More than half (53.9 per cent) of Maori and 44.4 per cent of Pacific Islanders never sunbathed.