Family discussions may reduce risky tanning behaviors among adolescent girls

Sherry L. Pagoto, PhD

Results are consistent with my experience studying teens and their moms such that tanning is often not prioritized as a risky behavior worth focusing on. Parents often say they already have to restrict their teens from smoking, eating junk food and drugs, so they are reluctant to add more restrictions to the list.

Unfortunately, we are in a place where there are more cancers resulting from tanning beds than there are cancers resulting from smoking. Skin cancer is not only the most prevalent cancer, but is one of the few cancers that grows in prevalence each year.

We have to combat the myths about indoor tanning being a source of vitamin D, that it is safer than the sun, or that it is a treatment for seasonal depression. People hear of these “benefits” and this mitigates their concern about the risks. The message about the risks of tanning is too often undermined by these myths that won’t seem to die. The FDA’s proposal to ban indoor tanning in minors could have a profound effect. I have heard tanners say, “if tanning is so bad, why is it legal?” Like cigarettes and alcohol, restricting use in minors sends the message to the public that tanning is not safe.

Jerod Stapleton, PhD

This idea of engaging family members or mothers in preventing indoor tanning among adolescent girls is an interesting idea and a great strategy moving forward. Existing studies are focused on girls who are tanning and mothers who are allowing their daughters to tan and thinking about why?  A lot of young women during the first time they go tanning, they may or may not go with their mother. But their mothers are generally aware of it, and a lot of the time have to sign off on it, so there’s a bit of an element of maternal influence to it. But, I think this study takes a different approach and highlights the importance of using parents as a way of getting our message across, which is trying to get girls to avoid using tanning beds. it is interesting to see that almost 96% to 97% of mothers have talked about tanning in the past.

These findings seem to suggest that tanning on the radar for mothers and daughters in terms of a health issue. Also, I think what is really interesting, in addition to all of that, is the study really talks about ways to engage mothers and family members and help promote efforts in general, but specifically indoor tanning in this way. It isn’t always easy to do that — how do you reach the families of young people? Young people, they’re in school, they’re learning about health and body in health classes, that’s one thing — but, how do you reach beyond that?  One important way may be to engage mothers and parents as partners in health education.