Recognizing Latinos’ range of skin pigment and phototypes to enhance skin cancer prevention |
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| Authors: | June K Robinson Frank J Penedo Jennifer L Hay Nina G Jablonski |
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| Institution: | 1. Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA;2. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA;3. Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA |
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| Abstract: | Latinos in the United States may have the mistaken assumption that their natural pigmentation protects them from developing skin cancer that, effectively, serves as a barrier to Latinos receiving education in primary and secondary prevention of skin cancer. Latino adults of Mexican or Puerto Rican heritage attending community health fairs in the greater Chicago area responded to a culturally informed and sensitive measure for sunburn and tan, which was previously adapted to capture skin irritation with tenderness from the sun occurring in darker skin types (n = 350). By self‐reported responses and spectrophotometry assessment of constitutive pigmentation, adapted Fitzpatrick skin types (FST) ranged from skin type I–IV in the Mexican American participants and from II to V in the Puerto Rican participants. The objectively measured proportion of adapted FST II skin type was greater than commonly perceived and demonstrated that many Latinos do indeed have sun‐sensitive skin. |
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| Keywords: | adapted Fitzpatrick skin type Latino phototypes skin pigment |
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