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Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality: results from the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort

Lindqvist, P. G. ; Epstein, E. ; Landin-Olsson, Mona LU ; Ingvar, Christian LU ; Nielsen, Kari LU orcid ; Stenbeck, M. and Olsson, Håkan LU orcid (2014) In Journal of Internal Medicine 276(1). p.77-86
Abstract
Background. Sunlight exposure and fair skin are major determinants of human vitamin D production, but they are also risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). There is epidemiological evidence that all-cause mortality is related to low vitamin D levels. Methods. We assessed the avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 and were aged 25 to 64 years at the start of the study. We obtained detailed information at baseline on their sun exposure habits and potential confounders. Multivariable flexible parametric survival analysis was applied to the data. Results.... (More)
Background. Sunlight exposure and fair skin are major determinants of human vitamin D production, but they are also risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). There is epidemiological evidence that all-cause mortality is related to low vitamin D levels. Methods. We assessed the avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 and were aged 25 to 64 years at the start of the study. We obtained detailed information at baseline on their sun exposure habits and potential confounders. Multivariable flexible parametric survival analysis was applied to the data. Results. There were 2545 deaths amongst the 29 518 women who responded to the initial questionnaire. We found that all-cause mortality was inversely related to sun exposure habits. The mortality rate amongst avoiders of sun exposure was approximately twofold higher compared with the highest sun exposure group, resulting in excess mortality with a population attributable risk of 3%. Conclusion. The results of this study provide observational evidence that avoiding sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality. Following sun exposure advice that is very restrictive in countries with low solar intensity might in fact be harmful to women's health. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
evolution, longevity, melanoma, population attributable risk, UV, radiation, vitamin D
in
Journal of Internal Medicine
volume
276
issue
1
pages
77 - 86
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000337787500010
  • scopus:84906081901
  • pmid:24697969
ISSN
1365-2796
DOI
10.1111/joim.12251
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c0300b35-18cc-4e3a-b294-7cee5077373a (old id 4609468)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:49:52
date last changed
2024-01-24 16:11:01
@article{c0300b35-18cc-4e3a-b294-7cee5077373a,
  abstract     = {{Background. Sunlight exposure and fair skin are major determinants of human vitamin D production, but they are also risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). There is epidemiological evidence that all-cause mortality is related to low vitamin D levels. Methods. We assessed the avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality for 29 518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992 and were aged 25 to 64 years at the start of the study. We obtained detailed information at baseline on their sun exposure habits and potential confounders. Multivariable flexible parametric survival analysis was applied to the data. Results. There were 2545 deaths amongst the 29 518 women who responded to the initial questionnaire. We found that all-cause mortality was inversely related to sun exposure habits. The mortality rate amongst avoiders of sun exposure was approximately twofold higher compared with the highest sun exposure group, resulting in excess mortality with a population attributable risk of 3%. Conclusion. The results of this study provide observational evidence that avoiding sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality. Following sun exposure advice that is very restrictive in countries with low solar intensity might in fact be harmful to women's health.}},
  author       = {{Lindqvist, P. G. and Epstein, E. and Landin-Olsson, Mona and Ingvar, Christian and Nielsen, Kari and Stenbeck, M. and Olsson, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{1365-2796}},
  keywords     = {{evolution; longevity; melanoma; population attributable risk; UV; radiation; vitamin D}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{77--86}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Internal Medicine}},
  title        = {{Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality: results from the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joim.12251}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/joim.12251}},
  volume       = {{276}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}