Keratinocyte skin cancer risks for working school teachers: Scenarios and implications of the timing of scheduled duty periods in Queensland, Australia

B R Dexter; R King; A V Parisi; S L Harrison; D A Konovalov; N J Downs

doi:10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112046

Keratinocyte skin cancer risks for working school teachers: Scenarios and implications of the timing of scheduled duty periods in Queensland, Australia

J Photochem Photobiol B. 2020 Dec:213:112046. doi: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112046. Epub 2020 Oct 3.

Authors

B R Dexter¹, R King¹, A V Parisi², S L Harrison², D A Konovalov³, N J Downs⁴

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia.
² Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia; School of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
³ School of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
⁴ Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia; School of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. Electronic address: downsn@usq.edu.au.

PMID: 33074139
DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112046

Abstract

Relative keratinocyte skin cancer risks attributable to lifetime occupational and casual sunlight exposures of working school teachers are assessed across the state of Queensland for 1578 schools. Relative risk modeling utilizing annual ultraviolet exposure assessments of teachers working in different geographic locations and exposed during periods of measured daily playground duty times for each school were made for local administrative education districts by considering traditional school opening and closing hours, and playground lunchtime schedules. State-wide, basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) relative risk estimates varied by 24% for BCC and 45% for SCC. The highest relative risk was calculated for the state's north (sunshine) coast education district which showed that risk could increase by as much as 32% for BCC and 64% for SCC due to differences in teacher duty schedules. These results highlight the importance of playground duty scheduling as a significant risk factor contributing to the overall burden of preventable keratinocyte skin cancers in Queensland.

Keywords: Keratinocyte skin cancer; Occupation; Teacher; UVR.

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Australia
Carcinoma, Basal Cell / etiology*
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / etiology*
Geography
Humans
Keratinocytes / metabolism*
Occupational Exposure
Queensland
Risk Factors
School Teachers / statistics & numerical data*
Seasons
Skin Neoplasms / etiology*
Sunlight
Time Factors
Ultraviolet Rays