Internalized Colorism as a Gendered Barrier to Skin Cancer Information Avoidance Among Hispanic College Students

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Skin cancer disparities disproportionately affect minority populations.
• Sociocultural factors influencing health information engagement are understudied.
• Internalized colorism may impact health behaviors within minority groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate internalized colorism as a barrier to skin cancer information avoidance among Hispanic college students.
• To examine sex differences in the association between colorism and information avoidance.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 300 Hispanic undergraduates at a Hispanic-serving institution.
• Hierarchical regression analyses used to assess associations between colorism dimensions and information avoidance.
• Moderation analysis explored sex differences.

Main Results:

• The attractiveness dimension of colorism significantly predicted greater skin cancer information avoidance.
• This association was moderated by sex, impacting female students more than male students.
• Self-concept and upward mobility dimensions of colorism did not predict information avoidance.

Conclusions:

• Culturally embedded appearance norms, particularly attractiveness-based colorism, act as a barrier to preventive health information engagement.
• Gendered pathways influence how intra-group appearance hierarchies affect health information seeking.
• Findings contribute to understanding minority health disparities by highlighting sociocultural influences on health behavior.