%0 Journal Article
%@ 2562-0959
%I JMIR Publications
%V 7
%N 
%P e54052
%T A Content Analysis of Indoor Tanning Twitter Chatter During COVID-19 Shutdowns: Cross-Sectional Qualitative Study
%A Groshon,Laurie
%A Waring,Molly E
%A Blashill,Aaron J
%A Dean,Kristen
%A Bankwalla,Sanaya
%A Palmer,Lindsay
%A Pagoto,Sherry
%+ University of Connecticut, 2006 Hillside Road, Unit 1248, Room 22, Storrs, CT, 06268, United States, 1 4344654162, sherry.pagoto@uconn.edu
%K attitude
%K attitudes
%K content analysis
%K dermatology
%K opinion
%K opinion
%K perception
%K perceptions
%K perspective
%K perspectives
%K sentiment
%K skin
%K social media
%K social media
%K sun
%K tan
%K tanner
%K tanners
%K tanning
%K tweet
%K tweets
%K Twitter
%D 2024
%7 4.3.2024
%9 Original Paper
%J JMIR Dermatol
%G English
%X Background: Indoor tanning is a preventable risk factor for skin cancer. Statewide shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in temporary closures of tanning businesses. Little is known about how tanners reacted to losing access to tanning businesses. Objective: This study aimed to analyze Twitter (subsequently rebranded as X) chatter about indoor tanning during the statewide pandemic shutdowns. Methods: We collected tweets from March 15 to April 30, 2020, and performed a directed content analysis of a random sample of 20% (1165/5811) of tweets from each week. The 2 coders independently rated themes (κ=0.67-1.0; 94%-100% agreement). Results: About half (589/1165, 50.6%) of tweets were by people unlikely to indoor tan, and most of these mocked tanners or the act of tanning (562/589, 94.9%). A total of 34% (402/1165) of tweets were posted by users likely to indoor tan, and most of these (260/402, 64.7%) mentioned missing tanning beds, often citing appearance- or mood-related reasons or withdrawal. Some tweets by tanners expressed a desire to purchase or use home tanning beds (90/402, 22%), while only 3.9% (16/402) mentioned tanning alternatives (eg, self-tanner). Very few tweets (29/1165, 2.5%) were public health messages about the dangers of indoor tanning. Conclusions: Findings revealed that during statewide shutdowns, half of the tweets about indoor tanning were mocking tanning bed users and the tanned look, while about one-third were indoor tanners reacting to their inability to access tanning beds. Future work is needed to understand emerging trends in tanning post pandemic. 
%M 38437006
%R 10.2196/54052
%U https://derma.jmir.org/2024/1/e54052
%U https://doi.org/10.2196/54052
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38437006