The Knowledge-Behavior Gap Phenomenon Between the Level of Knowledge of the Dangers of Sun Exposure and Compliance with Sunscreen Use Among Students at Santo Yoseph High School, Jakarta

ABSTRACT: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight poses a risk of triggering premature aging and skin cancer. Adolescence is an important period for establishing photoprotection habits, including sunscreen use, because of the high accumulation of sun exposure at this age. To determine the level of and relationship between knowledge of the dangers of sun exposure and compliance with sunscreen use among students at Santo Yoseph High School, Jakarta. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 170 students at Santo Yoseph High School, Jakarta, to evaluate the relationship between the level of knowledge of the dangers of sun exposure and compliance with daily sunscreen use, using questionnaires for each research parameter. Questionnaire responses were numerically scored as correct or incorrect, and the total score per subject was calculated. The final results were categorized into good and poor knowledge and compliance. The majority of students (61.7%) had good knowledge of the dangers of sun exposure, but compliance with daily sunscreen use was lower (50.6% non-compliant), confirming the knowledge-behavior gap phenomenon. Gender analysis showed that female adolescents with good knowledge were 3.063 times more likely to comply with sunscreen use. Conversely, no significant relationship was found among males. The knowledge-behavior gap phenomenon between knowledge of the dangers of sun exposure and compliance with sunscreen use was found particularly among male students at Santa Yoseph High School, Jakarta. Meanwhile, knowledge was a strong predictor of compliance only among female adolescents. Health education in schools must be differentiated by gender, focusing on long-term medical risks for females, and eliminating social stigma and recommending comfortable products for males. KEYWORDS: Sunscreen, Knowledge, Compliance, Adolescents, Gender. ABSTRACT Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight poses a risk of triggering premature aging and skin cancer. Adolescence is a critical period for establishing photoprotection habits due to the high accumulation of sun exposure at this age, including the use of sunscreen. To determine the level and relationship between knowledge regarding the dangers of sun exposure and compliance with sunscreen use among students at Santo Yoseph High School, Jakarta. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 170 students at Santo Yoseph High School, Jakarta, to evaluate the correlation between the level of knowledge regarding the dangers of sun exposure and compliance with daily sunscreen use using questionnaires for each research parameter. Questionnaire responses were scored as correct or incorrect numerically, and the total score per subject was calculated. The final results were categorized into good and poor knowledge and compliance. The majority of students (61.7%) demonstrated good knowledge about the dangers of sun exposure; however, compliance with daily sunscreen use was lower (50.6% non-compliant), confirming a knowledge-behavior gap phenomenon. Gender analysis indicated that female adolescents with good knowledge were 3.063 times more likely to be compliant with sunscreen use. Conversely, no significant correlation was found among male students. A knowledge-behavior gap phenomenon between knowledge of the dangers of sun exposure and compliance with sunscreen use was observed, particularly among male students at Santo Yoseph High School, Jakarta. Meanwhile, knowledge served as a strong predictor of compliance only in female adolescents. School-based health education should be tailored by gender, focusing on long-term medical risks for females, and addressing the elimination of social stigma along with recommending comfortable product formulations for males. Keywords: Sunscreen, Knowledge, Compliance, Adolescents, Gender.