Estimating personal solar ultraviolet radiation exposure through time spent outdoors, ambient levels and modelling approaches
Soueid, Lara (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)
Triguero-Mas, Margarita (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals)
Dalmau, A. (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)
Barrera-Gómez, José (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)
Alonso García, Lucía (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)
Basagaña, X (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)
Thieden, E. (Bispebjerg Hospital)
Wulf, H. C. (Bispebjerg Hospital)
Diffey, B. (Newcastle University)
Young, A. R. (King's College London)
Nieuwenhuijsen, Mark (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)
Dadvand, Payam (Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona)

Date:	2021
Abstract:	Background: Evidence on validation of surrogates applied to evaluate the personal exposure levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in epidemiological studies is scarce. Objectives: To determine and compare the validity of three approaches, including (i) ambient UVR levels, (ii) time spent outdoors and (iii) a modelling approach integrating the aforementioned parameters, to estimate personal UVR exposure over a period of 6 months among indoor and outdoor workers and in different seasons (summer/winter). Methods: This validation study was part of the European Commission-funded ICEPURE project and was performed between July 2010 and January 2011 in a convenience sample of indoor and outdoor workers in Catalunya, Spain. We developed linear regression models to quantify the variation in the objectively measured personal UVR exposure that could be explained, separately, by the ambient UVR, time spent outdoors and modelled UVR levels. Results: Our 39 participants - mostly male and with a median age of 35 years - presented a median daily objectively measured UVR of 0·37 standard erythemal doses. The UVR dose was statistically significantly higher in summer and for outdoor workers. The modelled personal UVR exposure and self-reported time spent outdoors could reasonably predict the variation in the objectively measured personal UVR levels (R range 0·75-0·79), whereas ambient UVR was a poor predictor (R = 0·21). No notable differences were found between seasons or occupation. Conclusions: Time outdoors and our modelling approach were reliable predictors and of value to be applied in epidemiological studies of the health effects of current exposure to UVR.
Grants:	European Commission 227020 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad FJCI-2017-33842 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad RYC-2012-10995 Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CEX2018-000806-S
Note:	Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Published in:	British journal of dermatology, 2021 , ISSN 1365-2133

DOI: 10.1111/bjd.20703
PMID: 34403140

8 p, 883.0 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) > The Barcelona Lab for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles