Solaria use in Queensland, Australia

Abstract

Objective: To describe the demographics of solarium users and the correlates of solarium use in Queensland.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 9419 Queensland residents was conducted via an anonymous computer-assisted telephone interview.

Results: Overall, 8.8% of the respondents had ever used a solarium and less than 1% had used a solarium in the previous year. Results indicated that users were more likely to be female and younger than non-users, and less than half of the users signed a consent form, suggesting that they had not been made aware of the associated risks by operators.

Conclusions: The Queensland Cancer Risk Study was one of the first population-based studies to address solarium use in this State and highlights that the use of solariums in Queensland is low in comparison to other countries.

Implications: There is no regulation of compliance with guidelines. It may become necessary to make compliance with the guidelines mandatory to effectively communicate the associated risks.