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One in five young women dependent on indoor tanning

Data from a recent survey demonstrate indoor tanning dependence was linked with symptoms of depression and beliefs about physical appearance.

The cross-sectional analysis included 389 non-Hispanic white women aged 18 to 30 years who reported tanning one or more times in the past year. Eligible participants completed the modified CAGE and DSM-IV screening tools, which included questions regarding indoor tanning use, dependence, behaviors and beliefs. The researchers also assessed participants for behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities associated with tanning.

Results indicated that 22.6% of respondents showed positive associations with dependence on indoor tanning.

Multivariate analysis results showed a link between dependence and initiation of tanning at a younger age (adjusted OR = 0.79; P = .017). Other factors associated with indoor tanning dependence included indoor tanning 20 or more times in the previous year (aOR = 3.03; P = .015), stronger beliefs about the benefits of tanning (aOR = 2.15; P = .004), greater perception of being susceptible to the risks associated with indoor tanning (aOR = 2.72; P < .001), stronger beliefs about physical appearance (aOR = 1.73; P = .037), and symptoms of depression (aOR = 3.79; P < .001).

The researchers concluded that indoor tanning behaviors among this population may increase skin cancer risk.

“Our study has identified a subgroup of young adult women who are dependent on indoor tanning,” study investigator Darren Mays, PhD, MPH, assistant professor at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a press release. “These young women are unlikely to respond to public health messaging and we will need to develop a more intensive resource to motivate behavior change. Given that we found strong associations between indoor tanning dependence and beliefs about physical appearance and psychological comorbidities like depression, these intensive behavior-modification resources likely need to address these co-occurring psychological concerns.”

Mays suggested that the clinical community should design interventions to address indoor tanning dependence.

“There is very little research in this area, so we may need to draw from successful approaches to changing behaviors like cigarette smoking,” he said. – by Rob Volansky

Disclosure: This study was supported by funds from the Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust and the National Institutes of Health. Mays declares no conflicts of interest.