IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v14y2017i10p1142-d113502.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sun Exposure, Sun-Related Symptoms, and Sun Protection Practices in an African Informal Traditional Medicines Market

Author

Listed:
  • Caradee Y. Wright

    (Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
    Department of Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa)

  • Tarylee Reddy

    (Biostatistics Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban 70380, South Africa)

  • Angela Mathee

    (Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Houghton 2041, South Africa
    Environmental Health Department, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2094, South Africa
    School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa)

  • Renée A. Street

    (Environment and Health Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Durban 4091, South Africa
    Discipline of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal 4041, South Africa)

Abstract

Informal workers in African market trade have little formal protection against sun exposure. We aimed to examine sun exposure, sun-related symptoms, and sun protection practices in an informal occupational setting. Trained fieldworkers asked 236 workers in the Warwick Junction market about their workplace, skin and eye sensitivity and skin colour, symptoms faced at work during the summer due to heat, and preventive measures. Data were analyzed using univariate logistic regression to assess the effect of gender and the risk of experiencing symptoms to sun exposure in relation to pre-existing diseases and perception of sun exposure as a hazard. Of the 236 participants, 234 were Black African and 141 (59.7%) were female. Portable shade was the most commonly used form of sun protection (69.9%). Glare from the sun (59.7%) and excessive sweating (57.6%) were commonly reported sun-related health symptoms. The use of protective clothing was more prevalent among those who perceived sun exposure as a hazard ( p = 0.003). In an informal occupational setting, sun exposure was high. Protective clothing and portable shade to eliminate heat and bright light were self-implemented. Action by local authorities to protect informal workers should consider sun exposure to support workers in their efforts to cope in hot weather.

Suggested Citation

  • Caradee Y. Wright & Tarylee Reddy & Angela Mathee & Renée A. Street, 2017. "Sun Exposure, Sun-Related Symptoms, and Sun Protection Practices in an African Informal Traditional Medicines Market," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-7, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:10:p:1142-:d:113502
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/10/1142/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/10/1142/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rebecca M. Garland & Mamopeli Matooane & Francois A. Engelbrecht & Mary-Jane M. Bopape & Willem A. Landman & Mogesh Naidoo & Jacobus Van der Merwe & Caradee Y. Wright, 2015. "Regional Projections of Extreme Apparent Temperature Days in Africa and the Related Potential Risk to Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-28, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Caradee Y. Wright & Angela Mathee & Cheryl Goldstone & Natasha Naidoo & Thandi Kapwata & Bianca Wernecke & Zamantimande Kunene & Danielle A. Millar, 2023. "Developing a Healthy Environment Assessment Tool (HEAT) to Address Heat-Health Vulnerability in South African Towns in a Warming World," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Caradee Y. Wright & D. Jean du Preez & Danielle A. Millar & Mary Norval, 2020. "The Epidemiology of Skin Cancer and Public Health Strategies for Its Prevention in Southern Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-14, February.
    3. Shalin Bidassey-Manilal & Caradee Yael Wright & Thandi Kapwata & Joyce Shirinde, 2020. "A Study Protocol to Determine Heat-Related Health Impacts among Primary Schoolchildren in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-12, July.
    4. Caradee Y. Wright & Renée A. Street & Nokulunga Cele & Zamantimande Kunene & Yusentha Balakrishna & Patricia N. Albers & Angela Mathee, 2017. "Indoor Temperatures in Patient Waiting Rooms in Eight Rural Primary Health Care Centers in Northern South Africa and the Related Potential Risks to Human Health and Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, January.
    5. Thandi Kapwata & Michael T. Gebreslasie & Angela Mathee & Caradee Yael Wright, 2018. "Current and Potential Future Seasonal Trends of Indoor Dwelling Temperature and Likely Health Risks in Rural Southern Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-16, May.
    6. Nisha Naicker & June Teare & Yusentha Balakrishna & Caradee Yael Wright & Angela Mathee, 2017. "Indoor Temperatures in Low Cost Housing in Johannesburg, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Jacqueline Lisa Bühler & Shreya Shrikhande & Thandi Kapwata & Guéladio Cissé & Yajun Liang & Hugo Pedder & Marek Kwiatkowski & Zamantimande Kunene & Angela Mathee & Nasheeta Peer & Caradee Y. Wright, 2022. "The Association between Apparent Temperature and Hospital Admissions for Cardiovascular Disease in Limpopo Province, South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-14, December.
    8. Shalin Bidassey-Manilal & Caradee Y. Wright & Jacobus C. Engelbrecht & Patricia N. Albers & Rebecca M. Garland & Mamopeli Matooane, 2016. "Students’ Perceived Heat-Health Symptoms Increased with Warmer Classroom Temperatures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, June.
    9. Rui Zhang & Yunzhi Zhang & Zhe Dai, 2022. "Impact of Natural Disasters on Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on the 2014 China Family Panel Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-17, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:14:y:2017:i:10:p:1142-:d:113502. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.