Queenslanders know how to slip, slop, slap but the message doesn't seem to be getting to new migrant residents in the region, according to CQUniversity's Saraswati (Sara) Aryal.

The Nepalese mother-of-three, who arrived in Australia two years ago, feels strongly about the risks of sun damage and is urging all Queensland residents (whether or not born in Australia) to complete a survey demonstrating their knowledge of Vitamin D and sun protection.

"At first I had no idea about how high the radiation was in Australia and Queensland - I just heard from friends that the sun rays are strong here and we need to protect ourselves from the sun," Sara said.

Saraswati Aryal is encouraging all Queensland residents to take part in a survey about Vitamin D and sun protection. Sara is a registered nurse in Nepal and, naturally, was curious about how to protect the health of her family when she arrived in Australia.

"I tried to find out more about skin cancer, sun protection and Vitamin D. I kept reading and searching about this topic for my own interest," she said.

Sara said the sun has both positive and negative effects on our skin. Exposure of the skin to sunlight creates Vitamin D but can also cause skin cancer.

"This means we need a balance between sun exposure and avoidance so that we can get sufficient Vitamin D from moderate sun exposure and also protect ourselves from skin cancer by avoiding excessive sun exposure."

Sara said although she tried to practice this message among family and friends, she noticed a gap in knowledge among other migrants she had met.

"Though they (my friends) arrived in Australia eight to 10 years ago, they seemed to be unaware of the actual consequences of sun damage and I found children of those parents more vulnerable to the sun."

Sara decided the issue would make an interesting research topic and it's now part of her thesis entitled ‘Vitamin D and Sun Protection Knowledge and Behaviour of Queensland Residents: Comparison Between Australian-born Residents and Migrants.'

As part of this project, all Queenslanders are being urged to take part in a short survey to record the knowledge of Vitamin D levels and sun protection in 'Australian-born' and 'non-Australian-born' Queensland residents.

"After data collection, we will compare the knowledge and behaviour between Australian and migrant residents," Sara said.

Ultimately, Sara hopes the results will enable more programs for sun protection and health to be rolled out to migrants when arriving in Australia.

If you would like to take part in the survey, please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/sun_protection