Study highlights need for reduced availability of indoor tanning on college campuses

Addressing the availability of indoor tanning facilities on and near college campuses is a crucial target for public health, according to researchers.

Using a sample of the top 125 colleges and universities listed in the U.S. News & World Report, the researchers contacted the colleges and nearby housing to determine availability of indoor tanning services. They assessed the frequency of indoor tanning both on-campus and within off-campus housing facilities and the payment options available for tanning.

The researchers found 48% of the 125 colleges studied had indoor tanning facilities either on campus or in off-campus housing, and 14.4% of colleges allowed campus cash cards to be used as payment for tanning.

Sherry Pagoto

Specifically, indoor tanning was available on campus in 12% of colleges and in off-campus housing in 42.4% of colleges. Ninety-six percent of off-campus housing facilities with indoor tanning provided it free to residents, and 36% of colleges with off-campus housing that offered indoor tanning referred students to those services on their websites.

Although none of the 15 colleges with on-campus tanning services offered those services for free, all 19 of the college-referred off-campus housing provided unlimited tanning services as part of the rental agreement, according to the researchers.

Regionally, Midwestern colleges were found to have the highest prevalence of indoor tanning on campus, whereas Southern colleges had the highest prevalence of indoor tanning in off-campus housing.

The researchers determined that presence of on-campus tanning facilities was significantly associated with enrollment, region and presence of a school of public health, whereas the presence of tanning facilities in off-campus housing was significantly associated with region and private vs. public status.

The researchers encouraged public health efforts to raise awareness of indoor tanning’s harmful effects.

Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.

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Source:

Pagoto SL. JAMA Dermatol. 2014. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2014.3590.