Fathers Less Likely to Recognize Harms of Adolescent Tanning

Fathers who do not receive skin cancer prevention counseling from their child’s doctor are less likely to recognize the harms of adolescent indoor tanning, according to the results of a new study.

“Since mothers are often the ones to take their children to the doctor, fathers may be less likely to receive skin cancer prevention counseling from their child’s provider,” said study author Maryam Asgari, MD, MPH, FAAD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
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Dr Asgari and a team of researchers administered surveys to 1205 parents of children aged 11 to 17 years. They presented the results of their survey at the American Academy of Dermatology 2018 Annual Meeting, which is taking place from February 16 to 20, 2018, in San Diego, California.

Ultimately, they found that fathers who used indoor tanning devices and/or never received skin cancer prevention counseling from their child’s doctor were less likely to view adolescent indoor tanning as harmful.

The researchers noted that this belief was also common among parents of boys, older adolescents aged 16 to 17 years, and adolescents whose skin was less reactive to the sun.

“While it’s not surprising that parents who have tanned themselves would have favorable attitudes toward their children’s indoor tanning, it’s important for all parents to understand the dangers of tanning at a young age and communicate those dangers to their children,” Dr Asgari said.

—Christina Vogt

References:

Research sheds light on parents’ views of indoor tanning [press release]. American Academy of Dermatology. February 16, 2018. https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/parent-and-indoor-tanning. Accessed on February 20, 2018.