Sunbed Use, User Characteristics, and Motivations for Tanning

A Skin Cancer Prevention Facial-Aging Mobile App for Secondary Schools in Brazil: Appearance-Focused Interventional Study (Preprint)

“…These findings are in line with international studies demonstrating the important influence of self-perceived attractiveness on self-esteem in adolescence [46,47]. Furthermore, enhancing one's attractiveness is a primary motivation for tanning in adolescents both in Brazil and worldwide [43,48,49]. In addition, the success of appearance-based photoaging intervention mobile apps, in which an image is altered to predict future appearance in the fields of tobacco and adiposity prevention, shows promise for these interventions in behavioral change settings [50][51][52][53][54][55].…”

“…Unhealthy behavior with respect to UV exposure is mostly initiated in early adolescence [42], commonly with the belief that a tan increases attractiveness [43][44][45] and the problems related to melanoma as well as skin atrophy are too far in the future to fathom.…”

Sunbed use among Portuguese beach goers: a crave group while waiting sunbeds to be abolished

“…Although the sunbed user's profile is equivalent to the literature, 2,4,5 when comparing with other southern European countries, in this study we found a lower rate of sunbed users (maximum of 8%) in Portuguese beach goers. This rate of use may not be representative of the general population, but it strengthened by the Portuguese Euromelanoma data, where people go motivated by skin cancer concern, although using even less the sunbed (from 2009 to 2012, the sunbed use rate was 1% to 3% (unpublished data)).…”

“…1,2 The risk appears to be stronger for young women, initial use at an early age (less than 35 years) and a higher number of sunbed sessions. 3,4 With this study, we aim to better understand the features of sunbed users in Portuguese beach goers, a group at high risk for skin cancer.…”

Serum endocannabinoids and N-acyl ethanolamines and the influence of simulated solar UVR exposure in humans in vivo

“…It is also observed that sunlight exposure causes a 'feelgood factor' or euphoria, which could be mediated by UVR. [2][3][4] Mood enhancement is observed in indoor tanning, where skin is exposed to the UVR component of sunlight alone; many individuals continue to self-expose despite knowledge of the adverse consequences, leading to the term 'tanorexia' or addictive-like tanning behaviour. 2, 3,5 Whilst this phenomenon has been suspected to be attributable to circulating endorphins, akin to mood enhancement after intense exercise, 6 -endorphin is unable to cross the bloodbrain barrier 7 and investigations for a role of endorphins in tanorexia proved inconsistent.…”