Correlates of Tanning Facility Densities in North Carolina

Abstract

The indoor tanning industry is currently receiving increased attention from policymakers, but this industry has not been well researched. Our study examines economic, demographic, and climate-related variables to better understand variations among North Carolina counties in terms of the number of tanning beds and booths per capita during a recent 3-year period. This study used regression analysis to estimate the magnitude and statistical significance of correlations between the density of tanning beds and other relevant variables from 2007 through 2009. The number of indoor tanning beds per capita in a county is positively correlated with the county's unemployment rate and with the proportion of the county's population that consists of white females 18-49 years of age; there is also a weakly positive correlation with the number of days per year of hot weather in the county. All else being equal, tanning beds are marginally more common in counties with higher rates of unemployment, with a greater number of days when the temperature exeeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and with residents who are more likely to engage in risky behaviors (as measured by the gonorrhea infection rate and the percentage of the population who smoke cigarettes). The data span a 3-year period (2007-2009) during which economic conditions were depressed. Economic, demographic, geographic, and climate-related factors should be considered when policies that affect the tanning industry in North Carolina are being developed and implemented.