A population-based survey on the use of artificial tanning devices in the Province of Quebec, Canada

Background: The suntanning industry has grown up over the last decade in No rth America, mainly because tanned skin is socially desirable and artificia l tanning is perceived as a "safe tan." However, exposure to UV radiation i s known to cause adverse health effects. Objective: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of use of tanning equipment in the Province of Quebec and to characterize people w ho reported using these devices. Methods: In 1996, a telephone survey was carried out among adults from the two most densely populated regions (Montreal, Quebec) of the Province of Qu ebec. The final sample included 1003 white persons 18 to 60 years old. Inte rviewers used a standardized questionnaire to document the characteristics of the participant, skin phototype, and exposure habits to artificial UV ra diation sources. Results: During the last 5 years before the survey, 20.2% of the respondent s reported they had used, at least once, a tanning device in a commercial t anning salon. The rate of use during the last 12 months before the study wa s 11.1%. A significantly higher proportion of female, young people (18 to 3 4 years old) and single persons was found among tanning bed users. Twenty-s ix percent of users experienced one or more acute adverse health effects fr om the artificial UV irradiation. Most of these were cases of skin burns, A high proportion (77.5%) of those who used tanning equipment during the las t year before the study said they would return to tanning salons. The inten tion of returning to a tanning salon was not influenced by the occurrence o f the acute adverse health effects. The most prevalent reason given for usi ng tanning equipment was "to improve their appearance by a tan." Most peopl e (60.4%) who used a tanning bed during the last 5 years before the study b elieve that tanning salons are not dangerous. Conclusion: This survey indicates that tanning bed use is very prevalent in the Province of Quebec, mainly among young women. The high rate of acute a dverse health effects related to artificial tanning, particularly skin burn s, is of concern. Finally, our results underline the importance of changing attitudes and beliefs in the population regarding artificial tanning.