44322 Skin Cancer Risk Factors, Screening, and Sun Protection among the United States Hispanic Population

Background: According to the 2020 Census, Hispanic individuals make up more than 18% of the United States population.1 We aimed to identify and compare rates of sun protective behaviors, demographic characteristics, indoor tanning bed usage, and lifetime prevalence of total body skin exams (TBSE) across Hispanics of various origins in reference to non-Hispanic individuals. This study analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. Self-reported Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central/South American, and non-Hispanic respondents were included. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios adjusting for age, sex, region, marital status, survey year, income, and health insurance coverage were calculated. Among our cohort of 392,829 individuals, 92,067 respondents identified as Hispanic. We found that all Hispanic subgroups were more likely to seek shade in the sun and less likely to have undergone a TBSE, experience a sunburn, or tan indoors in the last year when compared to non-Hispanics. Additionally, among the Hispanic subgroups, Dominican respondents utilized sunscreen least frequently (aOR .54, CI 95% .44-.68, p<.001) and Mexican respondents underwent TBSE least frequently (aOR .29, CI 95% .25-.33, p<.001). Our findings indicate differences among the prevalence of sunburns, sun protective behaviors, indoor tanning, and TBSE, between Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals. These findings present valuable opportunities to raise awareness regarding the implications of skin cancers and to reevaluate barriers to healthcare access that Hispanic patients may face.