More than 360 participants have responded so far, with the majority being from Quebec (60%) and\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ontario (35%). Most respondents identified as Jewish by both religion and ethnicity (80%), and many identified as Conservative (40%) or Orthodox (20%); 70% are of Ashkenazi background; and 55% are mothers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Sun exposure and tanning<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Seventy-five percent reported having a tan in the last 12 months, and 70% believe they look healthier or more attractive with a tan. Forty-five percent intentionally spend time in the sun on vacation or use tanning beds, while only 17% report never tanning.<\/p>\n A health concern\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Six percent\u00a0 <\/span>of respondents reported being previously diagnosed with skin cancer, while 30% reported having an immediate family member who has had skin cancer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Only 6% of respondents always wear a sun protective hat, while nearly 50% rarely or never do. Despite moderate sun exposure, only a small percentage take consistent sun safety precautions. Additionally, 70% of participants report that skin cancer has never been discussed as a health concern within the Jewish community.<\/p>\n Why this matters<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n These findings highlight a critical gap in skin cancer awareness and prevention. Sunburns, especially those that blister, significantly increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Given that 80% of respondents describe their natural skin colour as light, it is essential for the Jewish community to prioritize sun protection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Skin cancer prevention should be part of ongoing conversations in our community. Encouraging discussions in synagogues, schools and community groups can help raise awareness. Daily sun protection, including the use of sunscreen, hats, sunglasses and shade should become routine practice. It is also important to challenge the misconception that a tan is a sign of good health, as tanning is actually a response to DNA damage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n How dangerous is melanoma?\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/b><\/p>\n In 2024, it is estimated that 11,300 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma, and melanoma incidence in Canada is continuing to increase in men and women at a fast pace. It is often the sunburns in our 20s that lead to melanoma in our 60s and 70s. As people live longer, take more vacations in sunny destinations and are affected by climate change, we expect to see more cases of melanoma in the future unless we take action now.<\/p>\n To take the survey, go to portal.rimuhc.ca\/cim\/redcap\/surveys<\/a>, and use the code HA8CC7C9Y. By responding, you could win a $200 gift-card.<\/p>\n Any questions about the survey or the study can be emailed to medical student Raquel Lazarowitz at raquel.lazarowitz@mail.mcgill.ca<\/a>, dermatology resident Dr. Santina Conte at santina.conte@mail.mcgill.ca<\/a>, or study director Dr. Ivan Litvinov, McGill University\u2019s division of dermatology, at ivan.litvinov@mcgill.ca<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u2013 Courtesy McGill University<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sun tans are actually a response to DNA\u2008damage. (photo from pexels.com) Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. To better understand sun safety behaviour and attitudes in the Jewish community, a research group from McGill is conducting a survey.\u00a0 And they are asking community members to take part. More than 360 participants have responded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46793,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[2864,4137,2863,5948,24056,21646],"class_list":["post-46792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national","tag-health","tag-melanoma","tag-skin-cancer","tag-summer","tag-sun-tanning","tag-surveys"],"blocksy_meta":{"styles_descriptor":{"styles":{"desktop":"","tablet":"","mobile":""},"google_fonts":[],"version":8}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"image](\"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/may-30-surveys.30.Jewish-Sunfit-Poster-.jpg\")
<\/a>Ninety percent of participants reported experiencing a sunburn at some point in their lives, and nearly half have had a sunburn that blistered. Seventy percent of respondents travel to sunnier climates for more than one week each year, primarily to the United States (65%).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n