Pilot Investigation of Behavioral Alternatives to Indoor Tanning

Melanoma is the second most common cancer diagnosed in young women and is responsible for nearly 8,000 US deaths per year. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) increases risk for melanoma. The International Agency for Research on Cancer assigned indoor tanning (IT; use of tanning beds or booths), as a class 1 carcinogen joining arsenic, asbestos, and mustard gas. Unfortunately, interventions educating tanners about the risks have not been very effective. Many tanners are more motivated by the immediate consequences of tanning than the delayed consequence of possibly getting cancer. Research shows the primary motivation for indoor tanning is to improve physical appearance, but a secondary motivation is stress reduction. Behavioral economics theory suggests that the rate of a behavior depends on 1) the reinforcing value of that behavior relative to alternatives, 2) the cost of engaging in the behavior relative to alternatives, and 3) the availability of the behavior relative to alternatives. The purpose of the present study is to determine whether exposure to healthy alternatives changes the behavior of indoor tanners. The investigators will randomize tanners to conditions differing in physical appearance and stress reduction alternatives to determine whether they can get their motivational needs met in healthier ways.