www.lesswrong.com/posts/daTGKn3pXzs75nSB7/there-is-no-evidence-you-should-reappl...
1 correction found
“of those who re-applied sunscreen every 2.5 hours or more frequently were five times less likely to sunburn compared to those who applied sunscreen every two hours or more. “
This quote reverses the direction of the finding in the cited press release. The AAD/Newswise release says those reapplying every 2.5 hours or more frequently were five times more likely to sunburn than those reapplying every 2 hours or more, and a contemporaneous report likewise says sunburn was fivefold more common with less frequent reapplication.
Full reasoning
The post presents this as a quotation from the cited Rigel/AAD press-release summary, but the wording does not match the source.
In the Newswise copy of the American Academy of Dermatology press release, the sentence reads that people who re-applied sunscreen every 2.5 hours or more frequently were "five times more likely to sunburn" compared with those who applied sunscreen every two hours or more. In other words, the source says more likely, not less likely.
A contemporaneous report in CancerNetwork describing the same AAD presentation makes the direction clearer: 2% of participants who applied sunscreen every 2 hours or more often were sunburned, while sunburns were fivefold more common (10%) among those who applied sunscreen every 2.5 hours or less frequently.
So the post's quoted sentence is not just awkwardly phrased; it changes the result by flipping more likely to less likely.
2 sources
- Making the Most of Your Sunscreen | Newswise
The data further revealed that of those who re-applied sunscreen every 2.5 hours or more frequently were five times more likely to sunburn compared to those who applied sunscreen every two hours or more.
- Frequent Application of Sunscreen Essential to Avoid Sunburns | CancerNetwork
Only 2% of participants who applied sunscreen every 2 hours or more often were sunburned. Sunburns were fivefold more common (10% incidence) among people who applied sunscreen every 2.5 hours or less frequently.