Guest Post: Outrunning the Sun - A Final Year Medical Research Project ...by Maebh Daly

My name is Maebh Daly and I am a fourth year Medical Student, and a member of athletics Irelands since 2008. I am currently working on my final year research project, titled “Outrunning the Sun”. This project will look at skin cancer risk, awareness and protection amongst Irish Athletes. 

Irish athletes possibly have an increased risk of skin cancer or at least skin cancer risk behaviour due to their levels of UV exposure training outdoors and their skin type. As yet this has not been quantified. Awareness of this might lead to strategies to mitigate this risk. This project hopes to quantify this risk, through use of a survey. I am lucky enough to be working with Dr. Jim Donovan, Chief Medical Officer of Sports Ireland, and Consultant Plastic Surgeon Mr. James Clover, who specialises in Melanoma Skin Cancer. This project has also been endorsed by the Irish Institute of Sport. 

Below, I have attached a link to the survey and the corresponding participant invitation and information leaflet.

Maebh Daly

SURVEY LINK

Participant Invitation Letter (Online)
Study Title: “Outrunning the Sun”: An analysis of Skin Cancer Risk, Awareness and Protection amongst Irish Athletes

Chief Investigator: Mr. James Clover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Cork University Hospitals
Group
Contact Number: (021) 492 2575
Medical Student: Maebh Daly
Email Address: 119315413 AT umail DOT ucc DOT ie 

Skin Cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, and the Irish population are at a high risk of acquiring it. Irish Athletes spend a disproportionate amount of time outdoors compared to the general population, thus increasing their risk of obtaining sun damage leading to a skin cancer. 

It is my hope that through this survey, the awareness regarding the dangers of skin cancer in Irish athletes will be raised and will encourage athletes to develop the knowledge on how to protect themselves.

So, what can you do to help? By taking this survey, you will be spreading awareness and knowledge on the dangers of Skin Cancer in the Athletic community, in turn reduce the risk of skin cancer amongst your fellow athletes and coaches. 

Should you wish to take part you will be required to complete a questionnaire online which will take approximately 5 minutes Your participation is voluntary, and you are free to withdraw at any time.

Should you decide to participate, the information gathered as part of this study will be used only in this study. No identifiable information about you will be used in the analysis. 

Thank you for your help in this matter. 

Participant Information Leaflet (Online)
Study Title: Outrunning the Sun: An analysis of Skin Cancer Risk, Awareness and Protection
amongst Irish Athletes
Chief Investigator: Mr. James Clover, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, Cork University Hospitals
Group
Contact Number: (021) 492 2575
Medical Student: Maebh Daly
Email Address: 119315413 AT umail DOT ucc DOT ie

1. Project Description
I am undertaking this study as part of my research project, for my Medicine Degree in UCC. The aim of this study is to explore Irish athletes’ perception of skin cancer, and the personal risk it poses to them. 

To do this, I will be asking you, as Irish athletes to complete a questionnaire which contains questions about Skin Type, Knowledge of Skin Cancer, and what you do to protect yourself from the sun. You will not be required to give any personal information in this survey, it will be completely anonymous, and you will not be identifiable by your answers. Your consent will be implied by your decision to complete and submit the questionnaire.

2. Why have I been chosen?
You have been asked to take part in this project because you meet the criteria for the population being studied; An Irish athlete, that is aged 16 or over, who participates in outdoor training and competitions. Your answers will be compiled, and the results analysed, in the hope of gaining a better understanding of Irish Athletes’ perception of skin cancer, and the personal risk it poses to you.

3. What will it involve?
You will be asked to complete a questionnaire, which should take no more than 5 minutes. You may have received a link to this questionnaire from your club secretary via email or have accessed the link through your club’s social media page. The questionnaire is in the form of Google Forms and can be submitted online once each question is answered. Please complete and submit the questionnaire ONCE only, there is no need to repeat it. Should you have any difficulty, you can contact me at my email: 119315413 AT umail DOT ucc DOT ie

4. What will happen to the information collected?
The information collected will be stored on a password protected computer, in a password protected file, on UCC OneDrive. The data will be accessible to the research team only. It will be analysed and presented in the medical student’s research project presentation and report. This anonymous data will also be presented at a research conference and published in a research journal if such opportunities arise. As this is an anonymous survey, the data analysis and results will contain no information which is personally identifiable to you.

5. Will the information I give be confidential?
Yes, your information will be anonymous, as no personally identifiable information will be collected in the survey. To further protect confidentiality, the data will also be stored securely on a password protected computer and will only be accessible to the research team (listed above).

This study has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Cork
Teaching Hospitals, Lancaster Hall, 6 Little Hanover Street, Cork, 021 4901901.