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Temporal and Spatial Melanoma Trends in Austria: An Ecological Study

Author

Listed:
  • Daniela Haluza

    (Center for Public Health, Institute of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, Vienna A-1090, Austria)

  • Stana Simic

    (Institute for Meteorology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Peter-Jordan-Strasse 82, Vienna A-1190, Austria)

  • Hanns Moshammer

    (Center for Public Health, Institute of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, Vienna A-1090, Austria)

Abstract

Annual solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is mostly determined by latitude and altitude. Over the last decades, increasing UVR ground levels have been observed. Exposure to UVR is associated with a life-time risk to develop melanoma, a malign skin cancer. Thus, we hypothesized that melanoma incidence in Austria is associated with altitude of place of living and time of diagnosis. We investigated this hypothesis in an ecological study by district and year for Austrian melanoma incidence (1990–2010) and mortality (1970–2011) data. As expected, incidence rates increased with altitude (about 2% per 10 m) and year (about 2%). Additionally, melanoma incidence rates were about 50% higher in urban than in rural districts. In contrast, mortality rates decreased with altitude (for males: 0.4% per 10 m, for women: 0.7% per 10 m, respectively). The observed discrepancy between incidence and mortality data could partly be explained by melanoma diagnosis at earlier tumor stage in districts with higher altitude. Possible reasons for this finding include higher awareness of patients, better diagnostic performance of medical professionals working at higher altitudes, or slower tumor growth due to protective effects of sun light-associated vitamin D synthesis.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniela Haluza & Stana Simic & Hanns Moshammer, 2014. "Temporal and Spatial Melanoma Trends in Austria: An Ecological Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:11:y:2014:i:1:p:734-748:d:31920
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hélène Sancho-Garnier & Bruno Pereira & Pierre Césarini, 2012. "A Cluster Randomized Trial to Evaluate a Health Education Programme “Living with Sun at School”," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Simona Surdu & Edward F Fitzgerald & Michael S Bloom & Francis P Boscoe & David O Carpenter & Richard F Haase & Eugen Gurzau & Peter Rudnai & Kvetoslava Koppova & Joëlle Févotte & Giovanni Leonardi & , 2013. "Occupational Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation and Risk of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in a Multinational European Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(4), pages 1-9, April.
    3. Daniel J. O’Keefe & Daisy Wu, 2012. "Gain-Framed Messages Do Not Motivate Sun Protection: A Meta-Analytic Review of Randomized Trials Comparing Gain-Framed and Loss-Framed Appeals for Promoting Skin Cancer Prevention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(6), pages 1-13, June.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Olaf Gefeller & Wolfgang Uter & Annette B. Pfahlberg, 2016. "Protection from Ultraviolet Radiation during Childhood: The Parental Perspective in Bavaria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-11, October.
    2. Daniela Haluza & Markus Schwab & Stana Simic & Renate Cervinka & Hanns Moshammer, 2015. "Perceived Relevance of Educative Information on Public (Skin) Health: Results of a Representative, Population-Based Telephone Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-15, November.
    3. Daniela Haluza & Stana Simic & Jan Höltge & Renate Cervinka & Hanns Moshammer, 2014. "Connectedness to Nature and Public (Skin) Health Perspectives: Results of a Representative, Population-Based Survey among Austrian Residents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-16, January.
    4. Hanns Moshammer & Stana Simic & Daniela Haluza, 2017. "UV-Radiation: From Physics to Impacts," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-5, February.
    5. Daniela Haluza & Stana Simic & Hanns Moshammer, 2016. "Sunbed Use Prevalence and Associated Skin Health Habits: Results of a Representative, Population-Based Survey among Austrian Residents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-13, February.
    6. Daniela Haluza & Stana Simic & Hanns Moshammer, 2016. "Sun Exposure Prevalence and Associated Skin Health Habits: Results from the Austrian Population-Based UVSkinRisk Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, January.
    7. Andrzej Tukiendorf & Grażyna Kamińska-Winciorek & Marcus Daniel Lancé & Katarzyna Olszak-Wąsik & Zbigniew Szczepanowski & Iwona Kulik-Parobczy & Edyta Idalia Wolny-Rokicka, 2021. "Recent Malignant Melanoma Epidemiology in Upper Silesia, Poland. A Decade-Long Study Focusing on the Agricultural Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-10, October.
    8. Michael Schrempf & Daniela Haluza & Stana Simic & Stefan Riechelmann & Kathrin Graw & Gunther Seckmeyer, 2016. "Is Multidirectional UV Exposure Responsible for Increasing Melanoma Prevalence with Altitude? A Hypothesis Based on Calculations with a 3D-Human Exposure Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-9, September.
    9. Hanns Moshammer & Michael Poteser & Lisbeth Weitensfelder, 2022. "COVID-19: Regional Differences in Austria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-18, January.
    10. Olaf Gefeller & Jiang Li & Wolfgang Uter & Annette B. Pfahlberg, 2014. "The Impact of Parental Knowledge and Tanning Attitudes on Sun Protection Practice for Young Children in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-14, May.
    11. Hanns Moshammer & Stana Simic & Daniela Haluza, 2016. "UV “Indices”—What Do They Indicate?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-10, October.

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