Aim: To examine the characteristics of persons attending skin checks carried out by the Cancer Society of New Zealand.
Methods: Persons aged 20 years or over attending three skin checks open to the public in the Taranaki region in the summer of 1991-2 were surveyed regarding the presence of risk factors for melanoma and reasons for attending the skin check.
Results: Overall, more women (n = 159) than men (n = 120) attended the clinics. Questionnaire results were available for 197 of those attending (110 women and 87 men). The average age of the sample was 49.4 years; 99% were from a European background. Forty percent of the sample had two or more of the following risk factors for melanoma: sun-sensitive skin, history of severe burning, red or fair hair, being treated for a skin cancer, and a family history of skin cancer. Fifty-one percent reported at least one change in a mole over the last 12 months, and 42% gave the presence of a worrying mark on their skin as a reason for coming.
Conclusion: Those who attended the skin checks were likely to be at increased risk of skin cancer compared to the general population, and more often came because of a specific skin lesion than for a general skin check.