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Sunburn Prevalence by Age Group, New Jersey, 2017-2020

Indicator Report Data View Options

Age Group18-3435-4950-6465+0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%Estimated Percentage of AdultsSunburn Prevalence by Age Group, New Jersey, 2017-2020
Age GroupEstimated Percentage of Adults95% Confidence Interval, Lower Limit95% Confidence Interval, Upper Limit
18-34234.4%31.4%37.4%
35-49327.7%25.2%30.2%
50-64418.8%17.1%20.4%
65+57.9%6.7%9.1%

Why Is This Important?

Sunburn is a risk factor for skin cancer, the most common of all cancers. About 3.5 million cases of basal and squamous cell skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Melanoma, a more dangerous type of skin cancer, accounted for more than 73,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. in 2015.

Definition

The proportion of adults aged 18 years and older who report having a sunburn at least one time in the past year.

Data Notes

2019 data is not included in the average estimated prevalence. No data were collected in 2019.

Data Source

Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health
(http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/njbrfs/)

How the Measure is Calculated

  • Numerator:

    Number of persons aged 18 years and older who report having a sunburn at least one time in the past 12 months.

  • Denominator:

    Total number of persons aged 18 and older interviewed during the same survey period.

Data Issues

Data from the New Jersey Behavioral Risk Factor Survey are intended to be representative of all non-institutionalized adult residents of New Jersey. Due to resource issues, however, adults with limited personal access to phone service or limited command of either English or Spanish are not represented. As with all surveys, also, some error results from nonresponse (e.g., refusal to participate in the survey or to answer specific questions), and faulty measurement (e.g., responses affected by social desirability or recall error). Data collection procedures intended to minimize such errors include the use of strict calling protocols, good questionnaire design, standardization of interviewer behavior, interviewer training, and frequent, on-site interviewer monitoring and supervision. Statistical weighting procedures are also used to minimize the potential impact of disproportionate representation of demographic subgroups defined in terms of age, sex, race, ethnicity, education level, marital status, home ownership, and county of residence. (See also Behavioral Risk Factor Survey Data Description and Technical Notes.)

Related Health Objectives and Indicators



  • Health Initiative: HNJ2020

    Healthy NJ 2020 Objective CA-18

    NJ Target: Reduce sunburn among adults to 21.5 percent (age-adjusted) for the total population, 7.4% for Asians, 4.5% for Blacks, 11.6% for Hispanics, and 30.7% for Whites by 2020.0
    https://www.nj.gov/health/chs/hnj2020/topics/cancer.shtml


Health Care System Factors

See https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/skin-cancer-screening for skin cancer screening recommendations.

Health Status Outcomes

See https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html for the current 5-year survival rate for melanoma of the skin.

Related Health Status Outcomes Indicators:

Health Topic Pages Related to: Sunburn Prevalence

Indicator Data Last Updated On 09/14/2023, Published on 03/06/2025
Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health, PO Box 360, Trenton, NJ 08625-0360, e-mail: chs@doh.nj.gov (https://www.nj.gov/health/chs)