Health Policy and Risk Communication for Indoor Tanning in Canada

Abstract

Though the most preventable cancer in Canada, skin cancer is the most common. Indoor tanning (IT) equipment emits ultraviolet radiation (UVR), a known cause of skin cancer. This research explores provincial and territorial IT legislation in Canada with a content analysis, and indoor tanners’ perceptions of the current federally-mandated health warning label (HWL) plus pictorial alternatives in focus groups. All provinces and one territory currently regulate indoor tanning, and all of these restrict youth access to IT. However, certain important legislative aspects are receiving little coverage. The federal HWL is informative, but may not attract attention due to its lack of images, small font, and large amount of text. Images may assist this HWL in engaging indoor tanners to better communicate the risks of IT. Improvements in key areas of IT legislation and risk communication, identified in this thesis, may help develop effective IT and skin cancer prevention strategies.