Open AccessSolarium use in Australia, recent trends and context
Author(s) -
Francis Kate,
Dobbinson Suzanne,
Wakefield Melanie,
Girgis Afaf
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00578.x
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , skin cancer , demography , young adult , medicine , environmental health , gerontology , geography , cancer , archaeology , sociology
Objectives:To describe the prevalence of solarium use among representative samples of Australian adolescents (12–17 years) and adults (18–69 years).Methods:In national surveys conducted in 2003/04 and 2006/07 using equivalent methods, n=11,509 Australian adolescents and adults self‐reported their use of solaria.Results:In 2006/07 10.6% of adults had ‘ever’ used a solarium, and use was most prevalent among women aged 18 to 24 (17.1%) and 25 to 44 (20.7%). Few adolescents (2.5%) had ever used a solarium. The prevalence of past year use was much lower (0.6% of adolescents, 1.5% of adults) and there was a significant reduction among adults between surveys (OR=0.69, 95% CI=0.52–0.94). Adults’ attitudes related to past year solarium use were preference for a suntan (OR=4.68, 95% CI=2.48–8.85); perceived protan attitudes of peers (OR=2.10, 95% CI=1.17–3.77), belief that a suntan looks healthy (OR=1.92, 95% CI=1.09–3.39); and perceiving they have some risk of getting skin cancer (OR=1.69, 95% CI=1.03–2.78).Conclusions and implications:Although solarium use in Australia is relatively low, it is highest among young adult women. These data show encouraging downward trends in use, and provide a foundation for monitoring the impact of forthcoming regulatory changes to the solarium industry.