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

Skin cancer disparities persist among racial and ethnic minority populations, yet sociocultural factors shaping engagement with preventive health information remain understudied. This study examines whether internalized colorism functions as a barrier to skin cancer information avoidance among Hispanic college students and whether these associations differ by sex. Using survey data from 300 undergraduates at a Hispanic-serving institution, hierarchical regression analyses examined how three dimensions of colorism, including self-concept, attractiveness, and upward mobility, were associated with skin cancer information avoidance. Results indicated that only the attractiveness dimension predicted information avoidance. This association was moderated by sex, such that attractiveness-based colorism was significantly associated with greater avoidance among female students but not among male students. These findings suggest that intra-group appearance hierarchies may shape preventive health information engagement through gendered pathways. By identifying internalized colorism as a sociocultural barrier to health information engagement, this study extends research on minority health disparities by demonstrating how culturally embedded appearance norms influence engagement with preventive health information.