Spending time in, on, or near water was the most frequently reported context for adults' most recent sunburn, cited by 61% of respondents who reported at least one sunburn during the previous year, according to a report from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
An estimated 88.1 million US adults, representing 35% of the population, reported at least one sunburn during the previous 12 months in 2024, and 18.8 million reported four or more sunburns.
Researchers analyzed data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, which included 32,629 interviews with adult participants and had a response rate of 47.9%.
In the first analysis of sunburn-context data from a large, nationally representative surveillance survey, respondents who reported at least one sunburn during the previous 12 months were asked whether their most recent sunburn occurred while they were working at a job; intentionally tanning; exercising; spending time in, on, or near water; using sunscreen; or drinking alcohol. The respondents could select more than one context.
Other reported contexts included exercising (25%), drinking alcohol (18%), intentionally tanning (16%), and working at a job (13%). More than one-half of the respondents (55%) reported that their most recent sunburn occurred despite using sunscreen.
The researchers estimated that 35% of US adults reported at least one sunburn during the previous year. Among adults classified as sun sensitive, 55% reported at least one sunburn and 13% reported four or more sunburns. In the overall population, about 8% reported four or more sunburns.
Among adults aged 18 to 29 years, 46% reported at least one sunburn during the previous year, compared with 45% of those aged 30 to 44 years, 34% of those aged 45 to 64 years, and 17% of those aged 65 years or older.
Among racial and ethnic groups, non-Hispanic White adults reported a 46% prevalence of at least one sunburn and an 11% prevalence of four or more sunburns. Corresponding estimates were 22% and 3% among Hispanic adults, 16% and 2% among non-Hispanic Asian adults, and 9% and 1% among non-Hispanic Black adults.
The researchers found that 42% of adults with a college degree compared with 18% of those with less than a high school education reported at least one sunburn. Among adults with a family income at or above 400% of the federal poverty level, 43% reported at least one sunburn compared with 23% of adults classified as having the lowest income levels.
Women were more likely comapred with men to report that their most recent sunburn occurred while spending time in, on, or near water (65% vs. 56%), using sunscreen (64% vs. 45%), or intentionally tanning (21% vs. 10%). Men were more likely compared with women to report that their most recent sunburn occurred while exercising (27% vs. 22%), drinking alcohol (20% vs. 15%), or working at a job (19% vs. 7%).
Compared with adults aged 18 to 29 years, all older age groups were less likely to report that their most recent sunburn occurred while working at a job or intentionally tanning. Adults aged 45 years or older were also less likely to report that their most recent sunburn occurred while spending time in, on, or near water or while using sunscreen.
The researchers identified several limitations. Because the data were cross-sectional, conclusions regarding causality could not be drawn. All information was self-reported and therefore subject to recall and social desirability bias. Sunburn-context data were limited to the respondents' most recent sunburns and may not have reflected their usual sunburn circumstances. In addition, multiple contexts could be selected for a single sunburn event, and the sunscreen question did not capture factors that might affect effectiveness, including frequency of application and the type or amount used.
“Each year, approximately one-third of US adults experience at least one sunburn, thereby increasing their skin cancer risk,” wrote lead report author Dawn M. Holman, MPH, of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and colleagues.
The researchers reported no conflicts of interest.