Youth access to artificial UV radiation exposure: practices of 3647 US indoor tanning facilities.
OBJECTIVE
To assess indoor tanning facility practices in a sample of facilities in 116 cities representing all 50 states.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
United States.


METHODS
Employees of 3647 indoor tanning facilities were contacted by telephone. Data collectors (ie, confederates) posed as prospective, fair-skinned, 15-year-old female customers who had never tanned before.


METHODS
Confederates asked respondents about their facility's practices related to parental consent, parental accompaniment, and allowable tanning session frequency.


RESULTS
Approximately 87% of the facilities required parental consent, 14% required parental accompaniment, 5% said they would not allow the confederate to tan owing to her age, and 71% would allow tanning every day the first week of indoor tanning. In Wisconsin, which bans indoor tanning among those younger than 16 years, 70% of facilities would not allow the confederate to tan. Multivariate analyses indicated that facilities in states with a youth access law were significantly more likely to require parental consent (P <.001) and parental accompaniment (P <.001) than those in states without a youth access law. Law was not significantly related to allowable tanning frequency (P = .81). Conclusion We recommend that additional states pass youth access legislation, preferably in the form of bans.
Pichon
Latrice C
LC
Graduate School of Public Health, 9245 Sky Park Ct, Ste 220, San Diego, CA 92123, USA.
Mayer
Joni A
JA
Hoerster
Katherine D
KD
Woodruff
Susan I
SI
Slymen
Donald J
DJ
Belch
George E
GE
Clapp
Elizabeth J
EJ
Hurd
Ami L
AL
Forster
Jean L
JL
Weinstock
Martin A
MA
D000293:Adolescent; D001505:Beauty Culture / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology*; D033282:Parental Consent / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology