Young people’s opinions on the attractiveness of sun tans. In Fact

Melanoma is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in New Zealand and New Zealand has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Sun exposure in childhood and the use of tanning booths or sun beds before the age of 35 years are both key risk factors for developing melanoma later in life. In the summer of 2013, one in five young New Zealanders aged 13 to 17 years had been sunburnt in the weekend prior to being surveyed, so it is important to understand young people’s attitudes towards sun tanning. The Health Promotion Agency’s (HPA’s) Youth Insights Survey (YIS) monitors Year 10 students’ behaviour, attitudes and knowledge on a range of health-related topics, including their opinions on the attractiveness of sun tans.