Indoor Tanning Rates for American Teens Fall, Study Reports

The rate of American teenagers who used indoor tanning facilities has fallen, a new study reported. However, the dangerous habit is still very popular among high school students.

"The good news is that we do see a decrease in indoor tanning among teens between 2009 and 2013," said study author Gery Guy Jr., a health economist in the division of cancer prevention and control with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "However, if you look at the people who are continuing to tan indoor we found no reduction in frequent tanning. So, in other words, those who continue to tan do it as much as ever. And that's concerning, given that not only does indoor tanning increase your risk for skin cancer, but the more you tan, the greater the risk."

For this study, the researchers analyzed data collected in 2009, 2011 and 2013. For each year, there were roughly 13,500 to 16,500 participants attending grades nine through 12.

The researchers found that from 2009 to 2013, the rate of high school girls who used indoor tanning facilities at least once within the previous year fell from 25 percent to 20 percent. For boys of the same age group, the rate dropped from almost seven percent to five percent.

Despite the drop, the researchers found that about 10 percent of girls went to an indoor tanning facility frequently, which was defined as at least 10 times per year. The rate of frequent tanning in boys was two percent.

In terms of race, the researchers found that white, non-Hispanic girls still frequented indoor tanning salons the most. However, their rates fell from more than 37 percent to less than 31 percent from 2009 to 2013. The researchers also found that the indoor tanning rate fell from six percent to three percent in black males during the time frame.

"There are a few different factors. We're definitely seeing an increased awareness of the harms. For example, in 2009 the World Health Organization came out and declared that indoor tanning devices cause cancer. And since then, several studies have consistently shown that indoor tanning increases skin cancer risk," Guy said reported by WebMD. "So awareness is up and the trend is in the right direction. But statewide age restrictions on tanning are unevenly enforced, and today almost 2 million high school students continue to do it. So we still have a long way to go."

The study was published in the journal, JAMA Dermatology.