An exploration of the attitudes and risk taking behaviours amongst young people who are regular users of sunbeds and the development of a prevention strategy

Paul Mackenzie
2015
The year on year increase in the incidence of malignant melanoma skin cancer is a global health problem. In 2009 the International Agency on Research on Cancer raised exposure to artificial UV to the highest category, "carcinogenic to humans". Surveys in England in 2006-10 indicated that young people were using sunbeds regularly, with the North West, especially Merseyside, having some of the highest rates. There has however, been little research conducted that attempts to understand the
more » ... s and motivations of young sunbed users. Inadequate regulation coupled with their desire to use sunbeds has meant that young people have been using sunbeds hazardously. In 2010 the English government introduced legislation to ban under-18 sunbed use. Aims The study aimed to explore the attitudes, motivations and experiences of young people aged 14 to 16 years living in Merseyside, in relation to sunbed use in the context of the imminent legislation. The study also aimed to use the findings to promote the development of an evidence-based local skin cancer prevention strategy for Liverpool, in an attempt to begin to tackle hazardous sunbed use by young people in the locality. Methods Qualitative research was conducted in five schools in the North West of England between September 2009 and March 2010, prior to the implementation of the sunbed legislation banning under-18 year olds using them. Girls and boys aged between 14-16 years were recruited to the study. Eight focus groups were conducted, involving a mixture of sunbed users and non-users, sunbed users only, boys and girl only focus group and separate year groups. Twenty-two in-depth one-to-one interviews were also conducted. An interpretive approach was taken to the analysis of the qualitative data, drawing on the approach taken by Edwards and Tichen (2003). For the development of the skin cancer prevention strategy, a stakeholder workshop was organised in March 2013, bringing together approximately sixty key stakeholders from a variety of organisations in Li [...]
doi:10.17638/00019553 fatcat:aj7rlkaxojallhhahwh7ya5xka