Skip to content

Search

Unlocking the health benefits of sun exposure

Like all of us, Dr Shelley Gorman grew up with the 'slip, slop, slap' message. And for good reason, Australia is one of the sunniest countries in the world.

New research into Vitamin D and Sunlight has created Project D-Light

Project D-Light aims to understand and harness the benefits of vitamin D and sunlight for Australian children while protecting them from excess UV.

Vitamin D levels linked to depression in young men

Research from Perth's The Kids for Child Health Research shows that symptoms of depression in young men may be associated with low vitamin D levels.

New research links poor language to lack of Vitamin D in womb

New research has found that children of mums who had low levels of Vitamin D during pregnancy are twice as likely to have language difficulties.

Vitamin D deficiency affects lung growth and function

Research has discovered the first concrete evidence linking Vitamin D deficiency with poorer lung function and changes in lung growth.

Modelling vitamin D food fortification among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia

Low vitamin D intake and prevalence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration <50 nmol/L among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples highlight a need for public health strategies to improve vitamin D status. Since few foods contain naturally occurring vitamin D, food fortification could be a suitable strategy. We aimed to model vitamin D food fortification scenarios among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Insights from a trial of narrowband UVB for early multiple sclerosis

There is a greater prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological autoimmune condition, in populations living further from the equator, hypothesised to be due to reduced sunlight exposure. There exists a proven sunlight surrogate therapy for dermatological inflammatory conditions, in the form of narrowband NB-UVB phototherapy. Yet, there is a paucity of randomized trials of the therapeutic delivery of NB-UVB beyond dermatology for conditions with a systemic inflammatory component. 

Associations between sun exposure, skin pH, and epidermal permeability in pregnancy: A longitudinal observational study

Little is known about how sun exposure may affect the maternal skin barrier during pregnancy when many hormonal and physiological changes occur. In this longitudinal observational study, 50 pregnant women were recruited at 18-24 weeks' gestation, 25 in summer-autumn, and 25 in winter-spring. At three time points in pregnancy at 18-24, 28-30, and 36-38 weeks' gestation, participants completed a validated sun exposure questionnaire and had skin permeability and surface pH measured on the volar forearm.

Increased levels of solar radiation are associated with reduced type-2 diabetes prevalence: A cross-sectional study of Australian postcodes

Type-2 diabetes is a leading cause of death and disability. Emerging evidence suggests that ultraviolet radiation or sun exposure may limit its development. We used freely available online datasets to evaluate the associations between solar radiation and type-2 diabetes prevalence across Australia.

A novel skin cancer prevention strategy: Preservice teachers' perceptions of a sun safety intervention and experiences in schools

Teachers play a vital role in developing children's sun protection routines however upskilling preservice teachers (PSTs) while at university has not yet been trialled as a targeted skin cancer prevention strategy. Hence, this study investigated PSTs perceptions and experiences of sun safety following a brief pilot intervention and placement in primary schools in Western Australia.