Prevalence and Sociodemographic Correlates of Indoor Tanning among Female Teens 12-18 Years in the United States

Skin cancer incidence rates, including those for melanoma, continue to rise each year. These rates are increasing fastest among younger generations, making it important to understand the behavioral risks for the disease in this population. Adolescent females are especially at risk because of the ever-increasing popularity of indoor tanning (IT) and purposeful exposure to UV radiation. The study’s objective was to examine the prevalence of IT and the associated sociodemographic correlates in female teens (12-18 years of age) residing in the United States. Adolescent females (N=777) were recruited through Knowledge Networks’ online proprietary Knowledge Panel using dual frame recruiting with address-based and random-digit dialing to provide a national sample. Participants’ age, race, and tanning behavior, marital status of the parents and metropolitan residence status were self-reported in an online questionnaire. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent sociodemographic correlates of female teens ever having used a tanning bed or booth. Data analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics version 19. Eighteen percent of American female teens had ever engaged in IT. The sample was predominantly white (79.9%), lived in a metropolitan area (84.7%), and had parents who were married (75.6%). Metropolitan status was the strongest correlate of IT behavior, with non-metropolitan residents 2 times more likely to have ever indoor tanned compared to females living in metropolitan areas (Odds ratio (OR): 2.09, 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27-3.44). Additionally, a one-year increase in age was associated with 55% increase in the prevalence of ever IT (OR 1.5, CI 1.37- 1.75). Also, females with unmarried parents were 89% more likely to have ever tanned compared with females whose parents were married (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.23-3.09). White females were 0.16 times more likely to have ever indoor tanned compared to other races (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.08-0.36). All independent variables were statistically significant at the