Framing indoor tanning warning messages to reduce skin cancer risks among young women: Implications for research and policy

D. Mays and K.P. Tercyak

American Journal of Public Health, 2015, vol. 105, issue 8, e70-e76

Abstract: Objectives. We investigated the impact of indoor tanning device warnings that communicate the risks associated with indoor tanning (i.e., loss framed) or the benefits of avoiding indoor tanning (i.e., gain framed). Methods. A convenience sample of non-Hispanic White women aged 18 to 30 years who tanned indoors at least once in the past year (n = 682) participated in a within-subjects experiment. Participants completed baseline measures and reported indoor tanning intentions and intentions to quit indoor tanning in response to 5 warning messages in random order. A text-only control warning was based on Food and Drug Administration-required warnings for indoor tanning devices. Experimental warnings included graphic content and were either gain or loss framed. Results. In multivariable analyses, gain-framed warnings did not differ from the control warning on women's intentions to tan indoors, but they prompted stronger intentions to quit than the control message. Loss-framed warnings significantly reduced intentions to tan indoors and increased intentions to quit indoor tanning compared with control and gain-framed warnings. Conclusions. The public health impact of indoor tanning device warnings can be enhanced by incorporating graphic content and leveraging gain- and loss-framed messaging. © 2015, American Public Health Association Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords: adolescent; adult; attitude to health; behavior; controlled study; female; health care policy; health promotion; human; procedures; psychology; randomized controlled trial; risk factor; Skin Neoplasms; sunbathing; young adult, Adolescent; Adult; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Policy; Health Promotion; Humans; Intention; Risk Factors; Skin Neoplasms; Sunbathing; Young Adult (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2015.302665_3

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2015.302665

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