1. Investigating Presentation Methods of the Ultraviolet Index Owen Carter Research Fellow Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer Control Curtin University of Technology

2. The Ultraviolet Index • Internationally standardised in 1995 • Forecast by BoM in Australia since 1996 • Reported in variety of media

3. Reporting of the UV Index • Television

4. Reporting of the UV Index • Television • Radio …and today’s UV index is 12 and extreme

5. Reporting of the UV Index • Television • Radio • Newspapers

6. Reporting of the UV Index • Television • Radio • Newspapers • Internet

7. Salience of the UV Index Blunden, Lower and Slevin (2004) • WA public awareness is high (90%) • Understanding is ‘good’ • Recall is low (5%) • Utilisation is poor (~1%)

8. Criticisms of the UV Index • Gives no behavioural cues • Fails to describe ‘complexity’ of UV conditions

9. WHO Recommendations • Categorise by colour and label

10. WHO Recommendations • Add behavioural cues

11. WHO Recommendations • Add behavioural cues

12. UV Index International Examples • Location maps

13. American Location Map

14. European Location Map

15. Spanish Location Map

16. British Location Map

17. UV Index International Examples • Location maps • Contour maps

18. American Contour Map

19. American Contour Map

20. American Contour Map

21. European Contour Map

22. Australian Contour Map

23. New Zealand Contour Map

24. UV Index International Examples • Location maps • Contour maps • Altitude maps

25. Austrian Alpine Chart

26. UV Index International Examples • Location maps • Contour maps • Altitude maps • Time graphs

27. Australian Time Graph

28. Australian Time Graph

29. New Zealand Time Graph

30. UV Index International Examples • Location maps • Contour maps • Altitude maps • Time graphs • Pictographs

31. New Zealand pictograph

32. Study Aim • To assess and compare various presentation methods of the UV index to maximise public awareness, recall, understanding, attitude and utilisation

33. Methodology • Six groups stratified by age and sex

34. Methodology • Completed brief questionnaires to ascertain pre-existing knowledge and beliefs about the UV index

35. Methodology • Groups shown thirty UV index presentation formats • The relative merits of each were discussed

36. “What is mentioned in weather forecasts?”

37. “What aspects of the weather forecast would you heed if heading to the beach?”

38. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 “How many times have you been sunburnt this summer?” 30 25 20 Percent 15 10 5 0 Times sunburnt this summer

39. 50 40 30 20 10 0 notan lighttan mediumtan darktan very darktan “What do you consider to be a ‘healthy’ tan?” Percent

40. Television 95% Radio 18% 9% Newspaper 0% Internet “Where have you noticed the UV index reported?”

41. 50 40 30 Percent 20 10 0 extremelyuseful veryuseful somewhatuseful not veryuseful not usefulat all “How useful do you consider the UV Index?”

42. Understanding of the UV Index • “Higher values mean it is easier to get burnt” • Poor appreciation of UVI range • Frequently associated with temperature • Hourly variation in UVI vaguely understood • Effects of cloud cover poorly understood • More attention paid to label than number

43. Television • “Eyes drawn strait to temperature first” • “Usually only hear it, not see it” • “Should be on separate screen to temperature” • “Should be same size as temperature”

44. Newspaper • “Never noticed it” • “Barely see it” • “No one uses it” • “Have to actually know it’s there to look for it” • “Eyes drawn away to Perth temperature”

45. WHO Format • Colours liked by women but disliked by men • Too many categories at lower values of UV index and not enough at higher levels • “Need a colour and label for extreme extreme”

46. 14 12 12 11 11 10 10 9 8 8 UV Index 6 6 6 4 4 4 3 3 2 0 Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Perth Monthly Average UV Index

47. WHO Format • “People already know what to do” • “Same all year round!” • “Means staying in-doors half the year” • “Stupid”

48. Location Map • “Would confuse with temperature forecast” • “Only want to know about Perth” • “Not very meaningful” • “Not enough detail”

49. Location Map • “Would confuse with temperature forecast” • “Only want to know about Perth” • “Not very meaningful” • “Not enough detail” • “Overkill” • “Too much”

50. Location Map • “Would confuse with temperature forecast” • “Only want to know about Perth” • “Not very meaningful” • “Not enough detail” • “Overkill” • “Too much” • “Better…”