Indoor Ultraviolet Tanning Among U.S. Adolescents and Young Adults: Results From a Prospective Study of Early Onset and Persistence

Purpose The purpose of the study was to test whether those who initiate tanning during adolescence are more likely to continue tanning in young adulthood, potentially increasing their risk for melanoma. Methods The study included prospective data from the Growing Up Today Study, a cohort study started in 1996 (N = 5,882). Results Among men and women who ever indoor UV tanned, those who indoor UV tan by age 17 years consistently indoor tanned at least twice the prevalence as those who did not indoor UV tan by age 17 years. Indoor tanning prevalence at age 27 years was nearly 4 times as high (18.8% vs. 4.8%) among men who started indoor tanning by age 17 years than those who did not indoor tan by age 17 years. These differences persisted through age 27 years and are more pronounced in men (18.8% vs. 4.8%) than in women (30.5% vs. 13.0%). Conclusion Adolescents who indoor UV tan by age 17 years are more likely to continue to indoor tan through young adulthood than those who begin indoor UV tanning at age 18 years or older. Our findings suggest that interventions to prevent indoor UV tanning among minors may substantially reduce years of exposure to this carcinogenic behavior in young adults.