Some young Asian Australians seek tanned skin, risk skin cancer: study

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A new study looking at the sun habits of young Asian Australians shows many are choosing to deliberately tan themselves, putting themselves at greater risk of developing skin cancer.

The study, conducted by Dr Ashley Day for her PhD at the University of Adelaide, is the first of its kind aimed at better understanding the sun-related behaviours of young Australians of Asian background.

Dr Day surveyed 140 Asian Australians aged 18 to 26 years during a three-and-a-half-year period.

It found more than half the women and almost a third of the men had deliberately tanned at least once in the past few years, with many becoming seriously sunburnt.

“Although the prevailing attitude among Asian cultures is that lighter skin is better, there were a number of young people in this group who desired darker skin than their own perceived skin tone,” Dr Day said.

“These people engaged in behaviours that put them at increased risk of skin cancer.”

One of those pursuing the tanned image is 17-year-old Yi-Lynn Teh who moved to Adelaide from Malaysia three years ago.

“I love going out in summer, I love going to the beach, and yeah, I definitely love tanning,” she said.

But her mother Tessa has a different view and shields her skin from the sun.

“I like my skin to be fair, especially on my face with a lot of pigmentations.”

While researchers found the Caucasian population tanned more, those with Asian heritage were starting to follow suit with peer pressure playing a big part.

“Those influences were still a factor for people with Asian heritage so if you endorse a tanned ideal, if your friends are engaging in tanning behaviour then you were more likely to tan.”

Dr Day said the study, which targeted university students, also showed lower levels of understanding about the risks of skin cancer.

“This can lead to a combination of increased risks for young Asian Australians, deliberate tanning to darken their skin, and a lack of awareness of skin cancer and its early signs, which may lead to delayed treatment and poor outcomes for patients,” Dr Day said.

“We believe increasing skin cancer knowledge in this group will be important.”

She said more research was needed to better understand the impact of western culture on young people’s attitudes to skin health.