Which health outcome is most associated with outdoor lifestyles due to sun exposure?

• A. Increased risk of asthma due to pollen exposure
• B. Increased risk of osteoarthritis
• C. High melanoma risk due to sun exposure
• D. Higher rates of liver disease

Answer: (C)

Sun exposure from outdoor living increases ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the skin, which can cause DNA damage in skin cells. Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, has a strong, established link to UV exposure—especially from intermittent, intense sun exposure and sunburns in early life. Because outdoor activities directly raise UV exposure, melanoma risk is the health outcome most clearly tied to an outdoor lifestyle.

The other options don’t fit as tightly with sun exposure as the driving factor. Pollen exposure outdoors can affect asthma, but that risk comes from allergens, not UV radiation. Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear joint condition with no direct link to sun exposure. Liver disease arises from factors like alcohol use, obesity, viral infections, or metabolic conditions, not UV exposure.