The influence of parents and peers on adolescent indoor tanning behavior: Findings from a multi-city sample

Background: indoor tanning is common among adolescents. Objective. Our purpose was to examine the influence of parents and peers on adolescent indoor tanning. Methods: Telephone interviews were conducted with 5274 teen-parent pairs in the 100 largest US cities. Random coefficient regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between parental and peer factors and adolescent indoor tanning. Results: Teens' report of whether their parents allow them to tan indoors was the strongest predictor (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.6), whereas parents' modeling (aOR: 1.2), attitudes (aOR: 1.1), and concern about teen tanning (aOR: 1.9) were significantly but less strongly associated. Teens thinking most of their peers like to be tan (aOR: 1.7) and perceived percentage of peers who tan indoors (aOR: 1.0) also were significantly associated. Limitations: The cross-sectional design was a limitation of this study. Conclusion: Interventions targeting adolescent indoor tanning should address both family- and peer-related factors.