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Sun-protective behaviors in patients with cutaneous hyperpigmentation: A cross-sectional study
Mayra B C Maymone1, Hind H Neamah2, Stephen A Wirya1
1Department of Dermatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
|February 21, 2017
Summary
Patients with hyperpigmentation disorders show varied sun protection habits. Those with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, men, and shorter disease duration need more counseling on sunscreen use.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hyperpigmentation disorders are common in clinical practice.
- Sun-protective habits are well-studied in healthy individuals but not in patients with hyperpigmentation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate photo-protective behaviors in individuals diagnosed with hyperpigmentation disorders.
- To identify factors associated with sunscreen use in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 404 adult patients with cutaneous hyperpigmentation.
- Data collected on sunscreen usage, product characteristics, and demographic factors.
Main Results:
- 67.5% used sunscreen; 91% used SPF 21+.
- 48.5% were unsure of broad-spectrum protection; only 7.6% reapplied every 2 hours.
- Melasma patients were 6.7x more likely to use sunscreen than those with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). Female sex and longer disease duration (≥1 year) predicted higher sunscreen use.
- African Americans showed lower sunscreen use compared to whites (OR=0.31).
Conclusions:
- Patients with PIH, men, and those with disease duration <1 year reported lower sunscreen usage.
- These demographic groups may benefit from targeted counseling on sun-protective behaviors.
- Study limitations include recall bias, question misinterpretation, and reporter bias.
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