Awareness of the Effect of Environmental Factors on Skin Among Students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Ziad Mansour Alshaalan Dermatology Department, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Amany Ghazy Microbiology and Immunology Unit, Pathology Department, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5603-1303
  • Sara Abdulaziz Alenizi College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Maha Mohammed Alsahli College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Rawan Zaidan Alrasheedi College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Lojain Abdulsalam Alkhaldi College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Misk Talal Alderaan College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Renad Muhawish Alanazi College of Medicine, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia
  • Salma Ahmed Fathy Shatara Faculty of Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt, https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2819-9793
  • Youssef Ahmed Shatara Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria National University, Egypt https://orcid.org/0009-0008-1163-3651

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52609/jmlph.v6i2.281

Keywords:

Environmental Exposure, Health Knowledge Attitudes Practice, Health Promotion, Saudi Arabia, Skin Care, Skin Diseases, Students, Sunscreening Agents, Ultraviolet Rays, Universities

Abstract

Background: Skin health is fundamental to all age groups, particularly the youth. Aim: To investigate the level of awareness of university students about the effects of environmental factors on the skin and to examine their skin care practices. Methods: An online questionnaire was distributed to all students attending Jouf University. Results: 506 students agreed to participate in the study. There was high participation from the health sector colleges (56.7%), and 82.4% and 80.4% of participants, respectively, agreed that pesticides and detergents could harm the skin. Only 50.4% believed that stress affects skin sensitivity. For skin protection, 85.57% identified sunscreen use as a protective measure (knowledge), whereas only 70.4% reported actually using sunscreen (practice). Furthermore, more than 50% of participants have positive attitudes towards the importance of skin care and follow good practices, while 72.3% achieved high-level knowledge (mean score: 3.25 out of 4.00) 72.3% have satisfactory knowledge (3.25 out of 4). The mean practice score was 27.67/44, and only 40.5% reached a high level of practice (≥70% of maximum score). There was a significant association between female gender and the use of sunscreen (p < 0.001). Nonetheless, nearly 40% of participants do not care for their skin regularly. Conclusion: There is a good level of awareness among university students regarding the effect of environmental factors on skin; however, this level remains unsatisfactory considering the importance of this issue. Educational campaigns are required to improve skin care practices among the youth.

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Published

2026-04-16

How to Cite

Alshaalan, Z. M. ., Ghazy, A., Alenizi, S. A. ., Alsahli, M. M. ., Alrasheedi, R. Z. ., Alkhaldi, L. A. ., Alderaan, M. T. ., Alanazi, R. M. ., Shatara, S. A. F. ., & Shatara, Y. A. . (2026). Awareness of the Effect of Environmental Factors on Skin Among Students at Jouf University, Saudi Arabia. The Journal of Medicine, Law & Public Health, 6(2), 913–919. https://doi.org/10.52609/jmlph.v6i2.281

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2026): Apr-Jun

Section

Original Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Ziad Mansour Alshaalan, Amany Ghazy, Sara Abdulaziz Alenizi, Maha Mohammed Alsahli, Rawan Zaidan Alrasheedi, Lojain Abdulsalam Alkhaldi, Misk Talal Alderaan, Renad Muhawish Alanazi, Salma Ahmed Fathy Shatara, Youssef Ahmed Shatara

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