Support for Tanning Bed Control Policies Among Female University Students

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.12.007Get rights and content

Introduction

An estimated 400,000 cases of skin cancer, including >6,000 cases of melanoma, are attributed to indoor tanning in the U.S.1 Alarmingly, melanoma incidence has increased in recent decades among young women.2, 3 Several policy solutions have been proposed to reduce adolescent use of tanning beds, including youth access restrictions and taxation.4 Presently, 13 states prohibit minors’ (aged <18 years) access to tanning beds5 and no states tax indoor tanning.

The U.S. Surgeon General has called for increased restrictions on tanning beds as part of a comprehensive effort to prevent skin cancer.6 In 2015, 12 states introduced bills to prohibit minors’ access to tanning beds.5 With increased interest in tanning bed regulations, support for three tanning bed control policies was assessed among a sample of female university students, a population with high rates of indoor tanning.1, 7

Section snippets

Methods

This study was part of a larger study about indoor tanning messages and behavior.8 A convenience sample of undergraduate sorority (all-female social/service-based groups) members at a public university in the U.S. were invited to complete an online survey assessing support for three tanning bed control policies: (1) statewide law prohibiting minors’ access; (2) statewide indoor tanning tax (no amount specified); and (3) city ordinance banning free indoor tanning in apartment complexes. Prior to

Results

A total of 567 respondents completed the survey. All participants were female, 94% were white, and all were aged ≥18 years (mean age, 19.8 years; SD=1.2 years). Sixty-three percent of respondents reported never using a tanning bed (never tanners). Among respondents that had used a tanning bed (ever tanners), 59% tanned for the first time as a minor. Further, 64% of ever tanners reported using a tanning bed in the previous year (current tanners), and 36% had not (former tanners).

Among all

Discussion

A majority of respondents supported prohibiting minors’ access to tanning beds, taxing indoor tanning, and banning free apartment tanning. Support was highest for prohibiting minors’ access, and a majority of both current tanners and those that initiated tanning as a minor supported this policy. To date, only restricting youth access to tanning beds has been implemented by cities or states, and implementation of this policy has increased in recent years.5

This study is limited by the use of a

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the University of North Carolina’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the University Cancer Research Fund.

No financial disclosures were reported by the authors of this paper.

References (8)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (6)

  • College tanning behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and intentions: A systematic review of the literature

    2017, Preventive Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    Eight studies investigated populations between 18 and 25 years (Banerjee et al., 2012; Banerjee et al., 2014; Basch et al., 2012; Dennis and Lowe, 2013; Heckman et al., 2012; Heckman et al., 2014; Heckman et al., 2015; Noar et al., 2014), seven examined populations older than 18 years (Brewer et al., 2015; Dwyer et al., 2015; Fogel and Krausz, 2013; Gillen, 2015; Hemrich et al., 2014; Neenan et al., 2012; Seidenberg et al., 2016), and eight did not report age ranges (Ashrafioun and Bonar, 2014; Carcioppolo et al., 2017; Dunn, 2014; Rodgers et al., 2015; Russo et al., 2012; Stapleton et al., 2013; Yoo and Hur, 2014; Yoo and Kim, 2013). Twenty-one studies reported mean age, which ranged from 19.0–23.8 years (Ashrafioun and Bonar, 2014; Banerjee et al., 2012; Banerjee et al., 2014; Carcioppolo et al., 2017; Dennis and Lowe, 2013; Dunn, 2014; Dwyer et al., 2015; Fogel and Krausz, 2013; Gillen, 2015; Heckman et al., 2012; Heckman et al., 2014; Heckman et al., 2015; Hemrich et al., 2014; Neenan et al., 2012; Noar et al., 2014; Rodgers et al., 2015; Russo et al., 2012; Seidenberg et al., 2016; Stapleton et al., 2013; Yoo and Hur, 2014; Yoo and Kim, 2013). Overall mean age of 20.1 years old was calculated by averaging the mean ages reported by each study.

  • Is initiating tanning bed use as a minor associated with increased risky tanning behaviors and burning? An exploratory study

    2017, Preventive Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    Numerous countries (e.g., France, England, Belgium) have adopted age restrictions on tanning bed use to protect young people from the dangers of indoor tanning (Pawlak et al., 2012). Surveys of indoor tanners in the US reveal strong support for such policies (Seidenberg et al., 2016a; Mays et al., 2016). To date, 17 US states and the District of Columbia have banned minors under age 18 from using tanning beds (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2017).

  • Parental Support for Age-based Indoor Tanning Restrictions

    2017, American Journal of Preventive Medicine
    Citation Excerpt :

    In the case of bans for youth aged <18 years, about two thirds of parents agreed with such policies, whereas one quarter had no opinion and 12% disagreed. This finding is consistent with and meaningfully extends previous research demonstrating a similarly high level of support for minimum age restrictions among young adults.23,25 Interestingly, parents’ support for age-based bans did not vary substantially by geographic region, existing indoor tanning restrictions in parents’ state of residence, or the sex or age of their adolescent children.

View full text