Objective:

To know the prevalence of sun exposure and protection behaviors in a group of adolescents and to compare them with a group of adults in Mexico City.

Material and methods:

Descriptive, cross-sectional study in students aged 16 to 18 years and in adults older than 18 years.

Results:

Seven-hundred and forty-eight students were surveyed; 60 % were females and 40 % males; 90 % seek shade, 70.1 % avoid exposing themselves to the sun from 10.00 to 16.00 hours and 30.6 % use sunscreen. Out of 620 adults, 67.5 % were women and 32.4 % were men; 82.6 % seek shade, 60.2 % avoid the sun from 10.00 to 16.00 hours and 48.1% use sunscreen; 72.9 % of adults and 80.8 % of adolescents are exposed to the sun due to domestic activities.

Discussion:

There is a similar trend in sun protection and exposure behaviors in adolescents and adults. The prevalence of sunscreen use in adults is high in comparison with adolescents.