The impact of indoor tanning legislation: newspaper coverage of the risks of indoor tanning before and after the California indoor tanning ban for minors

Indoor Tanning Trends Among US Adults, 2007-2018

Objectives. To examine indoor tanning trends among US adults, and the relation to indoor tanning youth access legislation.Methods. This study analyzed the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a mailed survey, from the years 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018 (combined n = 20 2019).Results. Indoor tanning prevalence decreased significantly over time among all US adults from 2007 (10%) to 2018 (4%; P < .001), among young adults aged 18 to 34 years (14% to 4%; P < .001), and among both women (14% to 4%; P < .001) and men (5% to 4%; P < .05). Indoor tanning significantly decreased in states that enacted youth access legislation by 2018, but did not significantly decrease for other states. Frequent indoor tanning was common in 2018; about one quarter of respondents who reported any indoor tanning did so 25 times or more in the past year.Conclusions. This study identifies several challenges in continuing to reduce indoor tanning in the United States. Youth access legislation may be effective for reducing tanning among the broader population of tanners; however, there remains a need for focus on highly frequent tanners, as well as men.

Adolescent sleep and technology-use rules: results from the California Health Interview Survey

OBJECTIVES

This study reports on adolescent sleep, technology-use rules at home, and their potential association using the 2017 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

METHODS

CHIS cross-sectional, representative survey data was collected between June-December 2017 via telephone. Weekday bedtimes, rise times, and night time in bed in the past week, as well as whether technology-use rules were implemented at home, were examined among 448 adolescent residents of California (mean age = 14.5, range = 12-17; 48% women).

RESULTS

The average weekday nightly time in bed was 9.04 hours among 12- to 13-year-olds and 7.89 hours among 14- to 17-year-olds. The majority reported having technology-use rules and those who did, spent 35 more minutes in bed. Although a significant relationship was found between having technology-use rules and earlier bedtime, one was not found for time in bed, when controlling for demographics.

CONCLUSIONS

Many California adolescents do not meet recommended sleep guidelines. Yet, technology-use rules appear to be associated with earlier bedtime. Results have implications for policy-making and adolescent sleep interventions.

State Indoor Tanning Laws and Prevalence of Indoor Tanning Among US High School Students, 2009-2015

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association between state indoor tanning laws and indoor tanning behavior using nationally representative samples of US high school students younger than 18 years.

METHODS

We combined data from the 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (n = 41 313) to analyze the association between 2 types of state indoor tanning laws (age restriction and parental permission) and the prevalence of indoor tanning during the 12 months before the survey, adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, and survey year, and stratified by gender.

RESULTS

Age restriction laws were associated with a 47% (P < .001) lower indoor tanning prevalence among female high school students. Parental permission laws were not found to be associated with indoor tanning prevalence among either female or male high school students.

CONCLUSIONS

Age restriction laws could contribute to less indoor tanning, particularly among female high school students. Such reductions may reduce the health and economic burden of skin cancer.

The window of opportunity for indoor tanning legislation

As of August 2014, 11 states in the USA have passed under-age-18 bans on indoor tanning. The Society of Behavioral Medicine, the American Academy of Dermatology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have all issued statements in support of an under-age-18 ban. The World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration have both declared indoor tanning devices as carcinogenic, and this year, the Surgeon General for the first time issued a warning on the dangers of UV radiation and indoor tanning. This essay highlights how the awareness of the risks of indoor tanning, effective policies, and a conducive political atmosphere have aligned to create a window of opportunity for further under-age-18 indoor tanning legislation. The rising number of preventable skin cancers and mortalities is an issue that transcends political party lines, and now, there is a need for support from health professionals and advocates to motivate legislators to push new under-age-18 bills past their sticking points.