Tanning device usage: what are parents thinking?

Tanning device usage is prevalent among adolescents. Few studies have assessed the role of parental influence on children's use of indoor tanning facilities. Our objective was to determine if children's tanning device usage is affected by parental knowledge of risks of indoor tanning or by parental tanning practices. A survey was administered to 160 parents of 328 children at a general pediatrics clinic and 204 parents of 367 children at a pediatric dermatology clinic (parents n=364, children n=695). Over half of all parents and 17% of all teenagers queried had previously used tanning devices. The level of parental knowledge did not predict tanning device usage by their children. However, parental tanning device usage was associated with increased usage by children (p<0.05). Children began using tanning devices on average more than 4 years earlier than their parents. Most parents (69%) never wanted their children to use tanning devices, but only 15% of parents had discussed them with their children. Therefore, health providers can provide an important service by initiating discussions about tanning devices. Additional measures, including legislation requiring parental consent for indoor tanning, are needed to reduce tanning device usage by minors.