Comparing two methods of measuring legislation compliance among indoor tanning facilities.
BACKGROUND
Accurate measurement of compliance by tanning facilities to indoor tanning legislation is important.


OBJECTIVE
This study compared a telephone-based measurement procedure with a face-to-face visit.


METHODS
Indoor tanning facilities (N = 115) in San Diego County, California, were contacted by two adolescents posing as prospective customers using each method. Two compliance variables were assessed: number of times one can tan during 1 week and written parental consent for minors.


RESULTS
Facility compliance with the frequency variable by face-to-face and telephone was 25.5% and 17.5%, respectively. These rates for the parental consent variable were 73.3% and 80.8%, respectively. Percent agreement between data collection methods was 71.3% for compliance with the frequency recommendation and 76.3% for parental consent regulation. Although traditional statistical tests indicated poor concordance, an alternative test indicated good concordance.


CONCLUSIONS
Levels of concordance for the confederates differed.


CONCLUSIONS
Telephone assessment of compliance is fairly comparable with the more labor-intensive, face-to-face assessment.
Hurd
Ami L
AL
Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182-4162, USA.
Mayer
Joni A
JA
Woodruff
Susan I
SI
Belch
George E
GE
Patel
Minal R
MR
D001505:Beauty Culture / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D002140:California; D005161:Facility Regulation and Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays