Issue addressed: High levels of sun exposure and skin cancer are experienced by outdoor workers. To develop effective preventive strategies it is important to understand which factors predict sun protection use.
Methods: Outdoor workers (n=74) in Central Otago, New Zealand, completed a questionnaire and recorded sun protection practices for five consecutive working days, January-March 2007.
Results: Sun protection was predicted by beliefs of personal susceptibility to skin cancer, suntan attitudes, and perceived workplace support, but not knowledge.
Conclusions: Both individual and workplace factors influence outdoor workers' sun protection.