Knowledge, attitudes and practices of Black African males towards the use of sun protection : a case study of a University of Technology in KwaZulu-Natal

Abstract

Background Although there may be some Black African males who are informed about sun protection and may be practicing it, there is still a lack of information amongst many Black African males on sun protection. It is generally recognised that some still think that it only applies to females. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Black African males towards the use of sun protection at a University of Technology in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Methodology This study was guided by a quantitative research design. A quantitative research approach is methodical and unbiased research that utilises numerical information from a selected sample from a universe or population to generalise the findings only to the population that is being studied. The quantitative research design was selected for this study as it the most suitable, scientific, more controllable, less biased and deals with larger samples to provide more accurate information/results. The study was conducted at a University of Technology. The participants comprised of Black African male students. The sample size of the study was 409 participants. Descriptive statistics, in the form of tables and graphs, were used to describe the data graphically. In order to test for significant trends in the data, inferential statistics were applied. These included Pearson’s correlation, t-tests, Analysis of variance and chi-square tests. Where the conditions were not met for the application of these tests, non-parametric equivalent tests or exact tests were used. Throughout, a p-value of 0.05 was used to indicate significance. The analysis was carried out using SPSS, version 26. Results Results revealed that black communities, especially males need to be taught about sun protection. A certain percentage of the participants displayed that they have knowledge about sun protection, but they do not practice it. The study showed that there is still a lot to do in terms of educating the South Africans, especially those that are dark-skinned, about the vitality of sun protection. Conclusion In conclusion, skincare sun protection is vitally important for everyone to practice. It is not made for a specific gender; therefore, it is advised to be practiced by everybody, regardless of gender and/or race. Even though black skin has its natural shield (melanin) to protect against harsh sun’s ultraviolet(UV) rays, it is still important for Black people to protect themselves from UV radiation. This will help in reducing the chances of developing skin cancer in the long run.