Key findings
The voices of young Australians can help us better understand the challenges they are facing in an ever-changing world.
The latest National Child Health Poll from The Royal Children’s Hospital surveyed 2,012 Australian parents and 1,488 children, aged between 12 – 17 years. The inclusion of data from young people in this report helps to demonstrate their experiences with sunburn and understanding of sun safety.
The survey comprised two questionnaires—one completed by a parent or caregiver, and the other by their child aged 12 to 17 years. For parents with more than one child in the target population, one child was randomly selected to participate. Both parents and children responded to questions assessing their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to sun protection and tanning.
Key findings include:
- Almost three quarters (72%) of teens report being sunburnt at least once last summer, with almost half (44%) being burnt multiple times.
- Pro-tanning attitudes are common among teens, with half (49%) saying they prefer to look suntanned and one in four (23%) falsely believing a tan protects against skin cancer.
- The majority of teens (60%) did not use adequate sun protection when outdoors during peak UV times.
- Only one in four teens (22%) know how to tell when sun protection is needed.
- A third of teens (33%) mistakenly believe that you have to get sunburnt often to be at increased risk of skin cancer.
Poll report
The latest National Child Health Poll, which surveyed Australian parents and one of their children aged between 12 – 17 found that sunburn is common among children aged 12 to 17 years (teens). Approximately 3 in 4 (72%) teens said they had been sunburnt at least once in the six months from December 2024 to May 2025. One third of teens (38%) said that sun protection was not part of their ‘daily routine in summer’ despite UV forecasts reaching high, very high or extreme levels across Australia during summer. The majority of teens (60%) did not use adequate sun protection when outdoors during peak UV times. Read the full report to explore these findings further.
Download the report
Poll questions
The poll surveyed 2,012 Australian parents and 1,488 children aged 12 to 17 years in May 2025. Parents provided data on their child and the selected child shared data on their behaviour and knowledge regarding sun protection and attitudes towards tanning.
Download the questions
In the news
ABC News breakfast: Poll shows a quarter of teens falsely think a suntan will protect them from skin cancer
7 News Melbourne: Alarm sounded over teen tanning trend
Sunrise on 7: One in four teenagers wrongly believes that a tan will protect them from skin cancer.
7 News Australia: Teens ignore sun safety despite cancer risks
9 News Australia: More young people are risking their lives to get a tan
Australian Associated Press: Teens shun sun protection for tans despite cancer risks
Nine News Online: Quarter of Aussie kids think a suntan protects them from skin cancer, study reveals
MixxFM: Concerns over skin cancer
Information for parents
The Royal Children’s Hospital has developed a new sun safety fact sheet for teens.
We have also updated our parent fact sheet which provides supportive information for parents of teens, as well as advice for parents of younger children.
Access the parent fact sheet Kids Health Info: Sun Safety
Access the teen fact sheet Teen Health Info: Staying safe in the sun
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[…] sunburn. Similar beliefs are being found among young people in Australia. A recent survey from the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) found 45 per cent of Australian teenagers either mistakenly believe or aren’t sure if […]