by Caroline Petvin
(Health Secrets) Using tanning beds can be highly addictive, and could be linked with other addictive behavior, according to the initial findings of a New York based study.
Despite increased warnings about the potential health risks of tanning beds, a staggering number of young people continue to use them, and the research suggests that one in three of them may be addicted.
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What does the study show?
The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, was carried out by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. They studied 421 college students, 229 of which were tanning bed users.
The average number of times each student had used a tanning bed in the past year was twenty three, meaning that many were using tanning beds more than twice a month.
The students were asked to fill in a questionnaire to identify addictive behavior, such as feelings of guilt about using tanning beds, and being unable to stop or reduce their tanning bed use even though they wanted to.
Depending on the definition used to classify addiction, between 30 and 40% of these students were found to be addicted to tanning bed use.
It was also seen that these students were more likely to drink alcohol or use drugs and show signs of anxiety, prompting calls for tanning bed users to be screened for other addictive behavior or depression. Tackling underlying issues may be the best way to cure tanning bed addiction along with a number of other addictions.
What are the risks of using tanning beds?