Measuring Nonsolar Tanning Behavior

By DeAnn Lazovich, PhD, Jo Ellen Stryker, PhD, Joni A. Mayer, PhD, Joel Hillhouse PhD, Leslie K. Dennis, PhD, Latrice Pichon, MPH, Sherry Pagoto, PhD, Carolyn Heckman, PhD, Ardis Olson, M.D., Vilma Cokkinides, PhD, & Kevin Thompson, PhD

Published in Arch Dermatol 2008, 144;2:225–230

Objective

To develop a clear set of questions to distinguish between indoor tanning and sunless tanning, to monitor trends in population surveys or behavioral changes.

Methods

Cognitive interviews were conducted to gauge the interpretation of questions used in previous US surveys, either in peer reviewed publications or otherwise known by the authors. Participants were drawn from different universities and a high school, gathering 31 total participants, aged 15 to 62 years, who had used either indoor or sunless tanning.

Oral interviews were conducted, during which participants were asked to answer a series of questions, then to repeat each question in their own words, describing how they first interpreted the question.

Results

Participants were generally able to understand the questions regarding indoor tanning, whether questions specifically mentioned “tanning lamps” or just indoor tanning. The majority of participants were unable to give a confident response as to their lifetime use of indoor tanning, but were able to give an estimate. The participants were able to confidently estimate their usage within the previous year.

Clarification was needed to distinguish between sunless tanning used in commercial establishments versus the home, as well as clarifying home products as self-tanners versus a make-up or bronzer that is applied. There was no confusion between a spray-on tan obtained from a business and the use of indoor tanning. Participants were again unable to confidently estimate their lifetime usage of sunless tanning, and were also unsure how to answer based on the various forms of sunless tanning available.

Comments

It is recommended, based on this evaluation, that when measuring lifetime use of either indoor or sunless tanning, a series of questions be asked to provide a more accurate answer. This evaluation was focused on a narrow part of the population (female college students) so further population evaluations should be considered.

Reprint requests: Dr. DeAnn Lazovich, Division of Epidemiology & Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454.