title: Framing Indoor Tanning Warning Messages to Reduce Skin Cancer Risks Among Young Women: Implications for Research and Policy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the impact of indoor tanning device warnings that communicate the risks associated with indoor tanning (i.e., loss framed) or the benefits of avoiding indoor tanning (i.e., gain framed).
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of non-Hispanic White women aged 18 to 30 years who tanned indoors at least once in the past year (n = 682) participated in a within-subjects experiment. Participants completed baseline measures and reported indoor tanning intentions and intentions to quit indoor tanning in response to 5 warning messages in random order. A text-only control warning was based on Food and Drug Administration-required warnings for indoor tanning devices. Experimental warnings included graphic content and were either gain or loss framed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In multivariable analyses, gain-framed warnings did not differ from the control warning on women's intentions to tan indoors, but they prompted stronger intentions to quit than the control message. Loss-framed warnings significantly reduced intentions to tan indoors and increased intentions to quit indoor tanning compared with control and gain-framed warnings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The public health impact of indoor tanning device warnings can be enhanced by incorporating graphic content and leveraging gain- and loss-framed messaging.
authors.affiliation: Darren Mays and Kenneth P. Tercyak are with the Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, and Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mays
authors.affiliation: Darren Mays and Kenneth P. Tercyak are with the Department of Oncology, Georgetown University Medical Center, and Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Kenneth P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Tercyak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055108:Sunbathing / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult