Abstract
A grounded theory study was undertaken to describe how adolescents make decisions about sunbathing during the transition from childhood to adolescence and to propose an explanation for the relationships among factors affecting the adoption of sun tanning. In-depth interviews (n = 40) were conducted separately with adolescents (aged 12 to 16 years) and their parents. Constant comparative analysis of adolescents' accounts identified two methods that adolescents described as a means of getting a suntan: intentional sun tanning and incidental sun tanning. The process of adolescents' decision-making about getting a suntan can be understood by examining the following sequence: becoming motivated to get a tan, experimenting with sun tanning, and establishing self as an intentional tanner or incidental tanner. Implications for developing strategies to prevent the adoption of sun-tanning habits among adolescents are presented.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 299-314 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | International Journal of Behavioral Medicine |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2003 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funds for this research were provided by the National Cancer Institute of Canada. Jean Shoveller also is supported as a Michael Smith Foundation Health Research Scholar.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Applied Psychology