Assessing children's ultraviolet radiation exposure: The use of parental recall via telephone interviews

Objectives. This study evaluated the validity of a parental report measure of children's solar protection behaviors. Methods. Fifty-eight children had skin color assessed twice with a colorimeter. Between measurement sessions, parents were interviewed by telephone to assess children's indoor-outdoor status and solar protection across 40 hourly intervals. Results. Parental report of child's indoor-outdoor status was significantly correlated with the colorimeter values, whereas the use of sunscreen and protective clothing was not. Conclusions. This measure was feasible for assessing ultraviolet exposure in young children. The component that assessed the number of intervals spent outdoors evidenced predictive validity.