The excessive exposure to solar radiation (SR) is the main cause of skin cancer. The main aim of this paper was to investigate the perception of high school students about the SR and its implications for human health. The data have been collected through questions and the answers were evaluated by tables of relative, absolute and percentual frequency. Due to the size of our sample, we have used the Fischer test at 5% of significance (and bilateral alternative hypothesis) to correlate the answers. The students, whether they studied or not SR, don’t know to define SR and don’t have perception about its effects on the human health. This diagnosis shows, on the one hand, the conceptual lack of students. On the other, it also suggests the ineffectiveness of conventional didactic resources and accessible information media. Thus, the insertion of this concept in basic education is essential due to its social relevance and because it’s a public health problem.
Keywords
Ultraviolet Radiation; Skin Cancer; High School