| dc.description.abstract | Background: Tanning bed use is a modifiable risk factor in the development of
melanoma skin cancer. Despite the increased risk of skin cancer, tanning bed use is most
common among the adolescent and young adult population. Adolescents and young
adults intentionally expose their skin to the artificial ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted
from tanning equipment. In Canada, the indoor tanning industry is largely unregulated
and in need of a coordinated public health intervention.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence and
frequency of tanning bed use in the past 12 months and to identify the tanning attitudes
that predict the prevalence and higher frequency of tanning bed use in the past 12 months
in the older adolescent and young adult population in Canada. The purpose of the study
was to identify key points of intervention and to provide valuable information to help
inform policy makers and health promotion workers when developing a strategy to
reduce exposure to artificial UV radiation.
Methods: The study used the data collected in the 2006 Second National Sun
Survey (NSS2), the most recent and comprehensive survey in Canada to examine
exposure to UV radiation. A logistic regression and negative binomial regression model
was used to predict the prevalence and higher frequency of tanning bed use in the past 12
months among older adolescents and young adults (aged 16 to 34) in the 2006 NSS2,
respectively.
Results: Overall, 21.5% of females and 8.3% of males (aged 16 to 34) in Canada
were found to have had used artificial tanning equipment at least once in the past 12
months in 2006. Among those who had used a tanning bed in the past 12 months, 7.0% of
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females and 10.3% of males had used the equipment once, compared to 41.3% of females
and 29.2% of males who had used the equipment more than 12 times.
The individual level determinants that predict any use of a tanning bed in the past
12 months include gender (female), ethnicity (white), the intent to suntan during the
summer months (always or often), the belief that people look better with a tan, and the
belief that you look more attractive with a tan. In addition, having skin that will freckle
(no suntan) when repeatedly exposed to sunlight was negatively associated with any use
of a tanning bed in the past 12 months. The belief that a tan gives a healthy outdoor look,
on the other hand, did not predict any tanning bed use in the past 12 months. Among
those who had used a tanning bed in the past 12 months, the individual level determinants
that predict the higher frequency of tanning bed use include gender (female), skin that
will moderately tan when repeatedly exposed to sunlight, the use of a tanning bed to look
better (reported as ‘very important’), and the use of a tanning bed to relax or feel better
(reported as ‘very important’). The use of a tanning bed to boost their immune system, to
protect against cancer, and to get vitamin D did not predict the higher frequency of
tanning bed use in the past 12 months.
Conclusion: Tanning bed use in the older adolescent and young adult population
is a significant and growing public health concern both in Canada and worldwide. The
appearance-related motivation to use a tanning bed, but not the health-related motivation
to use a tanning bed, is predictive of tanning bed use and is a key point of intervention.
The tobacco industry is similar to the indoor tanning industry; however, tobacco control
efforts have led to the development of evidence-based policies, which may provide a
framework to reduce tanning bed use. | en |
