Search

Background: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the most important risk factor for skin cancer development. Sunlight is the main source of UV radiation in the general population. In addition, tanning beds are a source of artificial UV radiation. Since the incidence of skin cancer is increasing worldwide, it is necessary to monitor UV-related risk behaviors such as intentional indoor and outdoor tanning, as well as sun protection behavior in the general population and specific subgroups and settings. This is the aim of the National Cancer Aid Monitoring online (NCAM-online), a continuation and further development of the NCAM. Methods: The NCAM-online is a longitudinal trend study consisting of four annual survey waves. Each year, 4,000 individuals aged 16–65 years living in Germany will be surveyed using online questionnaires. Each year, intentional indoor and outdoor tanning will be assessed. In addition, varying specific topics regarding skin cancer prevention, such as the utilization of skin cancer screening, will be addressed in the questionnaires. Discussion: The findings of the NCAM-online will provide an important basis for the German Cancer Aid and Working Group on Dermatologic Prevention (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dermatologische Prävention, ADP) to develop targeted prevention campaigns and projects aimed at preventing skin cancer. The explorative nature of the NCAM-online allows for the identification of new potential starting points for prevention and education. In addition, the longitudinal design allows for a description of the trend in the prevalence of intentional tanning. For tanning bed use, representative trend data from 2012 are available for Germany, to which NCAM-online will add annual data until 2027. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultraviolet (UV)‐exposure behaviors can directly impact an individual's skin cancer risk, with many habits formed during childhood and adolescence. We explored the utility of a photoaging smartphone application to motivate youth to improve sun safety practices. Methods: Participants completed a preintervention survey to gather baseline sun safety perceptions and behaviors. Participants then used a photoaging mobile application to view the projected effects of chronic UV exposure on participants' self‐face image over time, followed by a postintervention survey to assess motivation to engage in future sun safety practices. Results: The study sample included 87 participants (median [interquartile (IQR)] age, 14 [11–16] years). Most participants were White (50.6%) and reported skin type that burns a little and tans easily (42.5%). Preintervention sun exposure behaviors among participants revealed that 33 (37.9%) mostly or always used sunscreen on a sunny day, 48 (55.2%) experienced at least one sunburn over the past year, 26 (30.6%) engaged in outdoor sunbathing at least once during the past year, and zero (0%) used indoor tanning beds. Non‐skin of color (18 [41.9%], p =.02) and older (24 [41.4%], p =.007) participants more often agreed they felt better with a tan. Most participants agreed the intervention increased their motivation to practice sun‐protective behaviors (wear sunscreen, 74 [85.1%]; wear hats, 64 [74.4%]; avoid indoor tanning, 73 [83.9%]; avoid outdoor tanning, 68 [79%]). Conclusion: The findings of this cross‐sectional study suggest that a photoaging smartphone application may serve as a useful tool to promote sun safety behaviors from a young age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes superficial spreading melanoma (SSM) in pediatric patients using the SEER database from 2000 to 2020. It identifies 610 cases, with the majority being White, female, and aged 15-19 years, presenting with localized disease primarily on the trunk. The study highlights a higher incidence of SSM in pediatric females, a decrease in SSM rates over the years, and a significant association between gender and primary tumor location. The findings suggest efforts to reduce UV exposure in children may contribute to the declining incidence of pediatric SSM. [Extracted from the article]

This article discusses the prevalence of sunbed businesses in Ireland and the regulations surrounding their use. The authors analyzed data from the Environmental Health Information System and found that in 2023, there were 365 sunbed business registrations in Ireland, equating to approximately 0.7 sunbed outlets per 10,000 inhabitants. The study also found variation in sunbed business notifications per capita among different counties in Ireland. While there has been a reduction in sunbed business prevalence over the years, there is still a considerable number of sunbed outlets in Ireland, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to discourage indoor tanning and promote sun-safety behaviors. [Extracted from the article]

Incidence rates of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers have been on the rise globally in recent decades. While there has been a select focus on personal sun protection awareness, to our knowledge, there is a paucity of legislation in place to help support citizens' efforts to protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Given this, we conducted a comprehensive review of legislation and guidelines pertaining to a variety of sun protection-related topics in countries of the Group of Seven (G7), Australia and New Zealand. Australia was the only country to have banned tanning beds for individuals of all ages, while other select countries have instituted bans for minors. In workplace policy, there is very little recognition of the danger of occupational UVR exposure in outdoor workers, and thus very few protective measures are in place. With regard to sports and recreation, certain dermatological/professional associations have put forward recommendations, but no legislation was brought forward by government bodies outside of Australia and New Zealand. With regard to youth, while there are various guidelines and frameworks in place across several countries, adherence remains difficult in the absence of concrete legislation and standardization of procedures. Finally, only Australia and a few select jurisdictions in the United States have implemented sales tax exemptions for sunscreen products. In light of our findings, we have made several recommendations, which we anticipate will help reduce the rates of melanoma and keratinocyte cancers in years to come. However, minimizing UVR exposure is not without risk, and we, therefore, suggest the promotion of vitamin D supplementation in conjunction with sun protective practices to limit potential harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the changing representations of sunbed consumers within everyday entertainment media and national newspapers from the late 1980s to early 1990s, this article will demonstrate how sunbed use was framed, at first, as an 'immoral' working-class activity, and later as a growing addictive threat to white adolescent women. Medical experts had finally confirmed that sunbeds increased the risk of developing skin cancer, and the media had taken this 'public health' matter into their own hands. As this occurred during a backlash against Thatcherism, their anti-sunbed coverage became entangled with moralised concerns about class, women and consumerism. These sunbed warnings stigmatised both 'yuppies' and young women who exercised their new economic freedoms. Unravelling these complex political, economic and social tensions will also show how historians can use fictional and 'low-brow' media sources (from television soaps, cartoons and the Daily Mail) to further develop the history of public health approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor tanning leads to melanoma, the fifth most common cancer in the USA. The highest rate of indoor tanning is among young women whose exposure to tanned images in the media is linked to protanning attitudes. This study evaluated the efficacy of a media literacy intervention for reducing young women's indoor tanning. Intervention participants analyzed the content and functions of the media influencing protanning attitudes and produced counter-messages to help themselves and peers resist harmful media effects. The message production was of two types: digital argument production or digital story production. The control group received assessments only. This three-group randomized design involved 26 sorority chapters and 247 members in five Midwestern states where indoor tanning is prevalent. At 2- and 6-month follow-up assessments, those in the two intervention conditions were less likely to be indoor tanners (p = .033) and reported lower indoor tanning intentions (p = .002) compared to those in the control condition. No difference between the two intervention groups was found for behavior. Although the argument group exhibited slightly weaker indoor tanning intentions than the story group, the difference was not significant. The results provide the first evidence of the efficacy of a media literacy intervention for indoor tanning reduction. Implications for participative engagement interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background/Purpose: Research suggests that youth proximity to tanning salons may promote use; however, little is known about tanning salon proximity to schools. We assessed the proximity of tanning salons to schools in urban versus rural/suburban communities across Worcester County, Massachusetts (population > 800K). To put findings in context, we compared school proximity to tanning salons to school proximity to McDonald's restaurants, a large franchise that also caters to young people. Materials & Methods: Accessibility was measured by ArcGIS 10.2 Network Analyzer (ESRI, Redlands, CA, USA) and the most current road network data layer from Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Results: A total of 145 schools were observed in the study area, of which about 39% of schools were within 1 mile from a tanning salon. Urban schools (53.41%) had a higher proportion within 1 mile of a tanning salon than rural/suburban schools (17.54%; P < .001). More schools (39.31%) were within 1 mile of a tanning salon than schools within 1 mile of a McDonald's (22.70%; P < .001). Conclusions: Schools may be particularly impactful for implementing skin cancer prevention programing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Given the evidence for increased skin cancer risk due to the sunbed use, a regulation of hazardous artificial ultraviolet radiation (UVR regulation) was passed in Germany in 2012. The aim of this study was to explore the advisory services in tanning studios as reported by sunbed users and to evaluate the information provided by the personnel of tanning salons after the UVR regulation was enacted. Methods: The first wave of the representative National Cancer Aid Monitoring on Sunbed Use included a subgroup of 357 German citizens between 14 and 45 years who had used sunbeds since the UVR regulation was implemented. The participants provided data on sunbed use and related issues in telephone interviews. Results: Although sunbed operators are mandated to offer their customers certain services at least once since the implementation of the UVR regulation, 15.4% of sunbed users were never advised to use protective eyewear during tanning and 13.1% were not provided with eyewear during their last sunbed use. Overall, 66.0% were never offered to develop a tanning schedule, 56.9% were never advised on the risks of UVR, 43.4% were never offered a determination of their skin type and 40.0% of users were never advised on how to use a sunbed safely. Conclusions: The data showed that 3 years after the UVR regulation was enacted, compliance with this legislation is still not optimal. Binding wording in the legal text and making them applicable to unsupervised sunbeds as well is necessary to extend the impact of this legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor tanning bed use is highly influenced by perceived norms about a tanned appearance. The theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) details the many ways in which norms can impact intentions and behavior, but has never been assessed in the context of indoor tanning. Considering this, we conducted a survey among female university students (N = 274) to determine the extent to which the TNSB predicted intentions to use indoor tanning beds. Overall, the path model predicted about 46% of the variance in intentions, and the majority of significant indirect effects were witnessed through the outcome expectation variables included in the TNSB, suggesting that these may be the most salient mechanisms—as predicted by the TNSB—through which norms can impact tanning intentions. In light of these results, theoretical and practical implications are discussed, and specific recommendations are given to extend the predictive utility of the TNSB in the context of indoor tanning. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Indoor tanning beds (ITBs) emit UV light at high intensity and have been classified as carcinogenic to humans by the World Health Organization since 2009. We are the first to study the role of state laws prohibiting youths from indoor tanning using a difference-in-differences research design. We find that youth ITB prohibitions reduced population search intensity for tanning-related information. Among white teen girls, ITB prohibitions reduced self-reported indoor tanning and increased sun protective behaviors. We also find that youth ITB prohibitions significantly reduced the size of the indoor tanning market by increasing tanning salon closures and reducing tanning salon sales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanning bed use before age 35 has been strongly associated with several types of skin cancer. The current study sought to advance an understanding of audience segmentation for indoor tanning among young women. Panhellenic sorority systems at two universities in the Southeastern United States participated in this study. A total of 1,481 young women took the survey; 421 (28%) had tanned indoors in the previous 12 months and were the focus of the analyses reported in this article. Results suggested two distinct tanner types: regular (n = 60) and irregular (n = 353) tanners. Regular tanners tanned more frequently (M = 36.2 vs. 8.6 times per year) and reported significantly higher positive outcome expectations (p < .001) and lower negative outcome expectations (p < .01) than irregular tanners, among other significant differences. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis revealed several significant (p < .001) predictors of regular tanning type, with tanning dependence emerging as the strongest predictor of this classification (OR = 2.25). Implications for developing anti-tanning messages directed at regular and irregular tanners are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine marketing strategies for indoor tanning services that often target young adult females. Evidence of the addictive nature of indoor tanning suggests that young adults may be vulnerable to the promotion of indoor tanning and as a result deserve greater protection from the marketing of these services. As public awareness of the rising numbers of skin cancers linked to indoor tanning grows, we believe that the public will support increased regulation of this industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial tanning remains very popular worldwide, despite the International Agency for Research on Cancer classification of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunbeds as ‘carcinogenic to humans’. Greek Atomic Energy Commission has initiated a surveillance action of the artificial tanning devices in Greece in order to record the effective irradiance levels from the sunbeds and to inform and synchronise the domestic artificial tanning business sector with the requirements of the European Standard EN 60335-2-27:2010. In this direction, in situ measurements of UVemissions from sunbeds in solaria businesses all over Greece were performed from October 2013 until July 2014, with a radiometer and a portable single-monochromator spectrophotometer. Analysis of the measurements’ results revealed that effective irradiance in ∼60% of the measured sunbeds exceeded the 0.3W m-2 limit value set by EN 60335-2-27:2010 and only 20%of the devices could be categorised as UV type 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article responds to an issue article on U.S. state laws on adolescent indoor tanning involving parental permission requirements or age restrictions. Topics include the roles of public knowledge and mass media coverage in declining adolescent indoor tanning use, the relation of age restrictions to adolescent behavior, and the classification of ultraviolet radiation from indoor tanning as a carcinogen.

The article discusses the House Bill (HB) 14-1054 which regulates and bans the indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanning for minors under the age of 18 years in Colorado. Topics discussed include the support of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) on the bill, the presentation of testimonies on the arguments regarding the bill, and the human carcinogens classification of the World Health Organization and National Toxicology Program to indoor tanning devices.

Recently, more and more studies have reported high prevalence rates for a 'tanning dependence' among tanning bed users. The authors of these studies base their argumentation on a modified (m) version of the CAGE (Cutdown, Annoyed, Guilty and Eye-opener) Criteria, initially used for alcohol addiction. By means of cognitive interviews and a large population survey, we tested the validity of the mCAGE Criteria and the above-mentioned prevalence that was deduced on the basis of rather small collectives. Firstly, it seems that the mCAGE Criteria wording used so far is inconsistent, misleading and intrinsically invalid. Secondly, our population-based data show a much lower percentage (15%) of current sunbed users with potential dependence symptoms than the above-mentioned previously published studies. Thirdly, the usage parameters for most of the supposed 'addicts' do not indicate a substance addiction: 38% of the users with positive scores reported not having visited a tanning studio at all in the previous month, 39% did not use sunbeds regularly and 89% did not show signs of tolerance to UV radiation. The mCAGE Criteria do not seem suitable for assessing tanning dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]