A comprehensive approach to evaluating and classifying sun-protective clothing

Summary Excessive exposure to sunlight causes skin cancer, the most common cancer in humans. An estimated 80% of melanoma (the most deadly form of skin cancer) cases in Australia could be prevented by reducing sun exposure. Clothing provides a protective barrier that reduces the amount of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) reaching the skin. In 1996, Australia pioneered a relative ranking of the sun-protective capabilities of clothing based on the transmission of UVR through fabric, known as the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF). UPF garment swing tags were introduced as part of this original standard (AS/NZS 4399:1996) which was widely adopted by industry. However, it did not consider the body surface area (BSA) covered by garments. Minimum body coverage requirements for the torso and limbs were added to some standards (e.g. European Union, 2003; Australian/New Zealand, 2017) but not others (e.g. USA). In light of recent evidence showing that clothing coverage is important in preventing some of the pigmented moles that develop in childhood (important risk-factor for melanoma), it is imperative that sun-protective clothing rating schemes consider BSA coverage of the garment, in addition to fabric UPF. We developed a new index for rating sun-protective clothing, “the Garment Protection Factor (GPF)” that incorporates both of these important factors. BSA coverage is determined based on the number of lines visible on a clothed versus an unclothed mannequin. GPF increases with BSA coverage of the garment and fabric UPF over 3 categories: GPF 0 to < 3 indicates the garments ‘meets’ minimum standards; 3 to < 6 indicates ‘good’ sun-protection; and GPF ≥ 6 indicates ‘excellent’ protection. Adoption of this rating scheme should provide an incentive for manufacturers to design sun-protective garments that exceed the minimum standard for BSA coverage and fabric UPF, and provide consumers with adequate information on which to base their choice, with positive implications for skin cancer prevention.