title: The association of tanning behavior with psycho-tropic medication use among young adult women.
abstract: Despite its known association with skin cancer, tanning remains popular among young adult women. Indoor tanning behavior has been found to be associated with affective and addictive disorders. To better understand potential psychological and biological mechanisms of tanning behavior, we investigated associations between tanning and medication (psychotropic and other) use among young women. Two hundred and fifty-three women age 18-29 years old were recruited from two northeastern university campus communities. Women self-reported tanning frequency and chronic medication use. In both univariate and multivariate analyses, indoor tanning ≥12 times last year was significantly associated with use of psychotropic medication and anti-depressants in particular. Sunbathing was not associated with medication use. Potential reasons for associations between tanning and psychotropic medication use are discussed. Indoor tanners should be warned that some psychotropic medications are photosensitizing, thus increasing risk for burns and other skin damage from indoor tanning.
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Prevention and Control Program , Fox Chase Cancer Center , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Heckman
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Prevention and Control Program , Fox Chase Cancer Center , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Teja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Munshi
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Prevention and Control Program , Fox Chase Cancer Center , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Darlow
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , Drexel University , 3141 Chestnut St, Philadelphia , PA 19104 , USA.
authors.forename: Jacqueline D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Kloss
authors.affiliation: c Cancer Prevention and Control Program , Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey , New Brunswick , NJ , USA.
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Manne
authors.affiliation: d Department of Dermatology , Fox Chase Cancer Center , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
authors.forename: Clifford
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perlis
authors.affiliation: e Department of Psychiatry , University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oslin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D057566:Self Report; D055108:Sunbathing / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: anti-depressants; psychotropic medication; tanning; young adult women