Sun avoidance increases risk of death by 2X – April 2014

Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality: results from the MISS cohort.

J Intern Med. 2014 Apr 4. doi: 10.1111/joim.12251.
Lindqvist PG1, Epstein E, Landin-Olsson M, Ingvar C, Nielsen K, Stenbeck M, Olsson H.

BACKGROUND:
Sunlight exposure and fair skin are major determinants of human vitamin D production, but they are also risk factors for cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). There is epidemiological evidence that all-cause mortality is related to low vitamin D levels.

METHODS:
We assessed the avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for all-cause mortality for 29,518 Swedish women in a prospective 20-year follow-up of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden (MISS) cohort. Women were recruited from 1990 to 1992, and were aged 25 to 64 years at the start of the study. We obtained detailed information at baseline on their sun exposure habits and potential confounders. Multivariable flexible parametric survival analysis was applied to the data.

RESULTS:
There were 2545 deaths among the 29,518 women who responded to the initial questionnaire. We found that all-cause mortality was inversely related to sun exposure habits. The mortality rate among avoiders of sun exposure was approximately two-fold higher compared to the highest sun exposure group, resulting in excess mortality with a population attributable risk of 3%.

CONCLUSION:
The results of this study provide observational evidence that avoiding sun exposure is a risk factor for all-cause mortality. Following sun exposure advice that is very restrictive in countries with low solar intensity might in fact be harmful to women's health. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID: 24697969

Sun vs number of years

Sun vs age

---

PDF is attached at the bottom of this page
93 studies referemces the 2014 study as of July 2020

See also VitaminDWiki

• Noontime sun and D) category listing has 331 items along with related searches
• Avoiding the sun may be as bad as smoking - many studies referenced this study
• Melanoma is 44 percent LESS LIKELY if get sun on the job – Nov 2013
• UV, sunshine, and vitamin D (87 charts) - Holick March 2013
• Less Solar Radiation was associated with more Cancer - 1941
• Vitamin D protects DNA against UV skin damage – 5 studies 2012-2013
• Sunny side of the hill is the healthiest – 400BC
• Decreased risk of non-melanoma skin cancer by working outdoors in Europe – April 2013
• Why do gardeners live longer (vitamin D, etc.)
• Benefits of sun are more than vitamin D – 2008
• New Zealand doctors are starting to prescribe more sunshine – Aug 2012
• Overview Suntan, melanoma and vitamin D
• Sunbathing (vitamin D) increases lifespan in Sweden by about 1 year – March 2016
  • Search VitaminDWiki for Lindqvist 89 items as of March 2019

Items in both categories Noon Sun and Mortality are listed here:

See also web

• Sunlight Reduces the Risk of Death! review of this study at Sunlight Institute
  His review made VitaminDWiki aware of the study

New title for this page March 2019. caused the visitor count to reset.
There have actually been 9393 visitors to this page since it was originally made