Density of Indoor Tanning Facilities in 116 Large U.S. Cities

Background U.S. adolescents and young adults are using indoor tanning at high rates, even though it has been linked to both melanoma and squamous cell cancer. Because the availability of commercial indoor tanning facilities may influence use, data are needed on the number and density of such facilit...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of preventive medicine 2009-03, Vol.36 (3), p.243-246
Main Authors: Hoerster, Katherine D., MS, Garrow, Rebecca L., MPH, Mayer, Joni A., PhD, Clapp, Elizabeth J., MPH, Weeks, John R., PhD, Woodruff, Susan I., PhD, Sallis, James F., PhD, Slymen, Donald J., PhD, Patel, Minal R., MPH, Sybert, Stephanie A., MPH
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial light
Availability
Beauty Culture - statistics & numerical data
Commerce - statistics & numerical data
European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data
Health problems
Humans
Incentives
Internal Medicine
Melanoma - etiology
Multivariate Analysis
Neoplasms, Squamous Cell - etiology
Prevalence
Skin Neoplasms - etiology
Sunbathing - statistics & numerical data
Suntan
Ultraviolet Rays - adverse effects
United States
Urban Population - statistics & numerical data
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Background U.S. adolescents and young adults are using indoor tanning at high rates, even though it has been linked to both melanoma and squamous cell cancer. Because the availability of commercial indoor tanning facilities may influence use, data are needed on the number and density of such facilities. Methods In March 2006, commercial indoor tanning facilities in 116 large U.S. cities were identified, and the number and density (per 100,000 population) were computed for each city. Bivariate and multivariate analyses conducted in 2008 tested the association between tanning-facility density and selected geographic, climatologic, demographic, and legislative variables. Results Mean facility number and density across cities were 41.8 (SD=30.8) and 11.8 (SD=6.0), respectively. In multivariate analysis, cities with higher percentages of whites and lower ultraviolet (UV)index scores had significantly higher facility densities than those with lower percentages of whites and higher UV index scores. Conclusions These data indicate that commercial indoor tanning is widely available in the urban U.S., and this availability may help explain the high usage of indoor tanning.
ISSN:0749-3797
1873-2607
DOI:10.1016/j.amepre.2008.10.020