Sunless tanning products may contribute to riskier UV radiation exposure behaviors, according to a recent study from the Mannheim Public Health Institute.
This misperception may lead to riskier behavior by exposing individuals to prolonged exposure to tanning beds or the sun without sunscreen. The results of the present study emphasize the importance of target group-specific prevention and, in particular, the propagation of safe SBP use.
Predictor of riskier behavior?
A research group from the Mannheim Public Health Institute investigated whether SBP use is more common among users of tanning beds (misperception hypothesis) and whether SBP consumers have higher risk “awareness” regarding tanning bed use (healthy alternative hypothesis). A dataset was used from the second wave of the NCAM study (2016 National Cancer Aid Monitoring on Sunbed Use), which was based on a representative sample in Germany (n=3000; age 14-45; 48.6% female, 51.4% male). The interviews were conducted by telephone. Differences between SBP users and non-users with respect to the above aspects were assessed using a chi-square test.
Risk “awareness” varies
During the last 12 months, 7.5% of the respondents used SBP (Fig. 1). Users of tanning beds showed a higher prevalence of SBP use than those who used tanning beds previously or never (16.1% vs. 9.6% vs. 5.8%; p<0.001; Fig. 2).
Although SBP users had a higher risk of skin cancer due to family history (e.g., family history of malignant melanoma: 12.2% vs. 7.1%; p=0.016), they were less aware of the risks of tanning bed use than non-users of SBPs (e.g., agreement with the item “Regular use of tanning beds causes skin cancer”: 75.7% vs. 84.2%; p=0.001).
Conclusion
The parallel use of SBP and tanning beds found in this representative study supports the misconception hypothesis. This can have serious health consequences because a “fake” complexion due to SBP can result in risky UV radiation exposure behaviors (concerning tanning beds and/or sunbathing). Neither the misconception hypothesis nor the healthy alternative hypothesis can be definitively confirmed or rejected based on the data of the present study. Further studies are needed to verify whether and how dangerous SBP use is.
Source: 46th ADF Annual Meeting, Munich (D), March 13-16, 2019.
Literature:
- Diehl K, et al.: Sunless tanning products: Healthy alternative or risky addition to tanning bed use? Mannheim Institue of Public Health, Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Poster presentation (P084), 46th ADF Annual Meeting, Munich, 13-16 March 2019.
- Diehl K, et al: Profile of sunless tanning product users: results from a Nationwide Representative Survey. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine 2019; 95 (1); 40-46.
DERMATOLOGIE PRAXIS 2019; 29(3): 30 (published 7.6.19, ahead of print).
