Table 1.
Overview of the studies included (n = 28)
| First author (year) | Data collection | Country | Matching1 | Total no. of participants | No. of cases | Proportion of males (%) | Age range at dx (mean) | Sunscreen information assessed2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital‐based case–control studies | ||||||||
| Klepp (1979)22 | 1974–1975 | Norway | Unmatched | 209 | 78 | 61 | >20 (nr) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency during solar irradiation |
| Graham (1985)23 | 1974–1980 | USA | Unmatched | 420 | 218 | 100 | nr (nr) | Interview: sunscreen use |
| Ródenas (1996)31 | 1989–1993 | Spain | Unmatched | 243 | 105 | 35 | 20–79 (52) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency |
| Wolf (1998)33 | 1993–1994 | Austria | Unmatched | 512 | 193 | 42 | 18–89 (54) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency before formation of melanoma |
| Espinosa A. (1999)34 | 1990–1994 | Spain | Individual (age, sex) | 351 | 116 | 47 | 21–87 (56) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use |
| Naldi (2000)35 | 1992–1995 | Italy | Unmatched | 1,080 | 542 | 42 | nr (nr) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency and duration, product type used, SPF used |
| Bakos (2002)37 | 1995–1998 | Brazil | Individual (age, sex, Ethnic group, region) | 309 | 103 | nr | 20–84 (53) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use, SPF used |
| Nikolaou (2008)64 | 2000–2004 | Greece | Individual (age, sex) | 400 | 200 | 49 | 19–84 (53) | Interview: sunscreen use |
| Klug (2010)39 | 1991–1992 | USA | Frequency (age, sex, Ethnic group, study site) | 1,662 | 717 | 55 | 20–79 (nr) | Interview: sunscreen use, sunscreen use ≥8 SPF, regular use ≥8 SPF |
| Luiz (2012)63 | 2004–2008 | Brazil | Frequency (age, sex) | 424 | 202 | 50 | 15–79 (48) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency in childhood, lifetime sunscreen use frequency |
| Vranova (2012)65 | 2010–2011 | Czech Republic | Frequency (age) | 518 | 216 | 46 | nr (54) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency in childhood, sunscreen use frequency in adulthood, number of sunscreen applications when sunbathing |
| Population‐based case–control studies | ||||||||
| Holman (1986)24 | 1980–1981 | Australia | Individual (age, sex, electoral subdivision) | 1,014 | 507 | 46 | 10–79 (nr) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency and duration |
| Østerlind (1988)25 | 1982–1985 | Denmark | Frequency (age, sex) | 1,400 | 474 | 41 | 20–79 (52) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency and duration |
| Beitner (1990)26 | 1978–1983 | Sweden | Individual (age, sex) | 1,028 | 523 | 45 | nr (nr) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency |
| Herzfeld (1993)27 | 1982–1983 | USA | Unmatched | 739 | 324 | 100 | >18 (nr) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency |
| Autier (1995)28 | <1990 | France, Germany, Belgium | Individual (municipality) | 856 | 418 | nr | nr (nr) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use |
| Holly (1955)29 | nr | USA | Frequency (age) | 1,382 | 452 | 0 | 25–59 (42) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency in 5 years previously |
| Westerdahl (1995)30 | 1988–1990 | Sweden | Individual (age, sex, parish) | 1,040 | 400 | 49 | 15–75 (nr) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency when spending time in the sun |
| Whiteman3 (1997)32 | 1994 | Australia | Individual (sex, school, grade) | 208 | 52 | nr | 3–14 (nr) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency at school and on holidays in childhood |
| Westerdahl (2000)36 | 1995–1997 | Sweden | Individual (age, sex, parish) | 1,449 | 558 | 50 | 16–80 (nr) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency, regular use, age at first use, SPF used, body parts applied, reasons for sunscreen use |
| Youl4 (2002)38 | 1987–1994 | Australia | Individual (age, sex, region) | 406 | 201 | 50 | 15–19 (17) | Interview: sunscreen use frequency at school, at home, on holidays for ages 5–10, 10–15, ≥15 years |
| Lazovich (2011)40 | 2004–2009 | USA | Frequency (age, sex) | 2,268 | 1,167 | 40 | 25–59 (nr) | Interview: lifetime sunscreen use frequency during outdoor activities, SPF used, thickness applied, amount of skin covered, reapplication, routine use |
| Savoye (2018)66 | 1989–2008 | France | Individual (age, birth county, education) | 1,219 | 366 | 0 | nr (57) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use at ages <15, 15–25, >25 years, SPF used, re‐application |
| Prospective ecological study | ||||||||
| Kojo (2006)67 | 1920–1985 | Finland | na | 11,535 | 11,535 | 47 | nr (nr) | Sales of sunscreen preparations 5 and 10 years before diagnosis |
| Prospective cohort studies | ||||||||
| Cho (2005)68 | 1976–2000 | USA | na | 178,1555 | 5355 | 325 | nr (53) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use frequency at the pool or beach as a teenager and in the past summer |
| Ghiasvand (2016)69 | 1991–2012 | Norway | na | 143,844 | 722 | 0 | 42–83 (60) | Questionnaire: sunscreen use in low and high latitudes, SPF used, brands of sunscreen used |
| Stenehjem6 (2017)70 | 1999–2012 | Norway | na | 1,755 | 112 | 100 | 33–84 (58) | Questionnaire: present sunscreen use frequency |
| Randomised controlled trial | ||||||||
| Green (2011)21 | 1992–2006 | Australia | na | 1,621 | 33 | 44 | nr (nr) | Intervention to daily apply sunscreen on head, neck, arms and hands, weight of returned sunscreen bottles, questionnaire on weekly sunscreen use frequency |
Abbreviations: dx, diagnosis; na, not applicable; nr, not reported; no., number; SPF, sun protection factor.
1
Only relevant for case–control studies; variables given as reported in the underlying article.
2
This column gives an overview of the sunscreen information assessed in the study. The detailed descriptions of the sunscreen estimates used in the meta‐analyses are given in Table 2 and Supporting Information Table 4.
3
Sunscreen and melanoma in childhood.
4
Sunscreen and melanoma in adolescence.
5
Data received upon author request with some differences to the article cited.
6
Case‐cohort study design.