Mood and Indoor Tanning: What the 2017 MITS Research Shows
While many individuals assume that artificial tanning is driven strictly by cosmetic goals, behavioral scientists have long questioned whether emotional states play a decisive role. When tanning sessions become frequent or difficult to stop, understanding psychological drivers is critical for skin safety. Here is a clear look at what researchers discovered when developing a dedicated measurement tool to evaluate mood-driven indoor tanning habits.
Why Do Researchers Study Mood as a Driver of Tanning?
Prior investigation highlighted that emotional factors and mood-based motivations could serve as an important predictor of indoor tanning bed use. In addition, scientists recognized that these emotional motivations might be linked to indoor tanning dependence. Despite these observations, behavioral science faced a clear gap: very little research had focused on creating a dedicated psychometric measure to assess mood-based tanning motivations. Understanding whether people visit salons to alter their emotional state requires standardized measurement tools rather than casual assumptions.
What Is the Mood-Based Indoor Tanning Scale?
To address this measurement deficit, authors published a validation study titled The Development and Validation of the Mood-based Indoor Tanning Scale. in the American journal of health behavior in 2017. The investigators sought to create and validate the mood-based indoor tanning scale, abbreviated as the MITS. Categorized as a journal article and psychometric validation study, the project was designed to establish a formal questionnaire structure and confirm construct validity, giving health behavior researchers a standardized method to quantify mood-related tanning drivers.
How Was the 2017 Validation Study Structured?
The investigators carried out two distinct studies within the project to test and verify the properties of the scale across different cohorts:
- Study 1: Conducted across 5 geographically diverse universities located in the United States, this initial phase was designed to specify and verify the underlying factor structure of the MITS questionnaire.
- Study 2: Conducted with a national online sample within the United States, this second phase was used to evaluate construct validity and examine how scale scores related to real-world tanning behavior.
By dividing the validation into two separate phases, the researchers could first define the measurement framework in an academic setting and subsequently test its predictive value in a broader online group.
How Strongly Does Mood Predict Tanning Session Frequency?
The findings from the second phase demonstrated that emotional motivators have a measurable relationship with how often people use tanning equipment. In Study 2, results indicated that a single-point increase in an individual's MITS measure corresponded with using indoor tanning beds 11 more times in the past year. Overall, the study authors concluded that mood-based motivations represent a strong predictor of both indoor tanning intentions and actual tanning behavior. This marked an important empirical connection between emotional motivations and repeated ultraviolet radiation exposure.
What Are the Limitations of This Single Study?
When reviewing scientific literature, it is essential to look at the design boundaries rather than overstating the results. This research represents one study published in 2017. While it successfully introduced a standardized scale, the data rely on two specific groups: students at 5 universities in the United States for the first phase, and a national online survey pool for the second phase. Online samples and student groups may not reflect the entire population of individuals who use sunbeds. Furthermore, because it is a validation study focusing on self-reported behaviors over the preceding year, it does not replace comprehensive clinical evaluations of psychological distress or addiction.
How Can Healthcare Providers and Researchers Use the MITS?
The study authors concluded that health behavior researchers and healthcare practitioners can use the MITS to determine the degree to which mood-focused motivations drive indoor tanning bed use. In clinical and public health contexts, understanding these internal motivators can help providers identify why someone continues to expose their skin to known hazards despite health warnings. Anyone finding themselves compelled to tan repeatedly to alter their mood should consult a qualified doctor, counselor, or dermatologist to address the underlying psychological drivers safely, rather than seeking out unapproved drugs or additional ultraviolet exposure. Readers can also review broader analyses of indoor tanning and addiction and examine the clinical evidence regarding tanning beds and UV risk.
Sources
The Development and Validation of the Mood-based Indoor Tanning Scale. (PubMed PMID 27935789)
Published October 28, 2026. Sources are linked in the text. See our Medical Disclaimer.