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Erythema and ultraviolet indoor tanning: findings from a diary study

  • Original Research
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Translational Behavioral Medicine

ABSTRACT

The use of artificial ultraviolet (UV) indoor tanning (IT) beds increases the risk of skin cancer. The IT industry claims IT devices provide users with control over the amount of UV radiation exposure and thus reduces risks of sunburn (i.e., skin erythema) when tanning. This study aims to establish the prevalence and predictors of IT-related erythema using diary data. Six bimonthly diary surveys were administered to 198 female college IT users. Diaries assessed IT use and IT-related erythema. Among participants who used IT, 66 % experienced at least one episode of erythema and nearly one in five IT sessions resulted in skin erythema. Those who reported the most frequent IT use prior to the study were less likely to experience an IT-related erythema on a given IT session compared to the least experienced IT users. Perceived susceptibility to burns from IT use was positively associated with risk of erythema. Erythema was a frequently reported experience among IT users. Implications for policy makers and behavioral medicine practitioners are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by RSGPB-05-011-01-CPPB from the American Cancer Society to Joel Hillhouse. Jerod Stapleton had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. This article is dedicated to Jaime Regen Rea, who lost her 9-year battle with melanoma at the age of 29.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, 195 Little Albany Street, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

    Jerod L Stapleton PhD, Sharon L Manne PhD & Elliot J Coups PhD

  2. Department of Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Jerod L Stapleton PhD, Sharon L Manne PhD & Elliot J Coups PhD

  3. Department of Community Health, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA

    Joel Hillhouse PhD & Katie Baker MPH

  4. The Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Rob Turrisi PhD

  5. Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Rob Turrisi PhD

  6. Department of Dermatology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    June K Robinson MD

Authors
  1. Jerod L Stapleton PhD
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  2. Joel Hillhouse PhD
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  3. Rob Turrisi PhD
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  4. June K Robinson MD
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  5. Katie Baker MPH
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  6. Sharon L Manne PhD
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  7. Elliot J Coups PhD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jerod L Stapleton PhD.

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Implications

Practice: Behavioral medicine providers need to address the importance of preventing indoor tanning-induced skin erythema to indoor tanning users, particularly among users with higher perceived susceptibility to sunburns.

Policy: Policy makers should be critical of claims from the indoor tanning industry that the use of indoor tanning provides protection from sunburn as erythema is frequently reported among indoor tanning users.

Research: Indoor tanning interventions should contain content designed to encourage users to consider the appearance and health implications of erythema from indoor tanning as well as include erythema as an outcome measure of intervention efficacy in reducing future skin cancer risk.

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Stapleton, J.L., Hillhouse, J., Turrisi, R. et al. Erythema and ultraviolet indoor tanning: findings from a diary study. Behav. Med. Pract. Policy Res. 3, 10–16 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-012-0155-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13142-012-0155-2

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