In a survey conducted by The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, dermatologists found a correlation between people ages 18 to 29 with melanin-rich skin and sunburn.
"Simply warning of the danger
is not having an effect."
—Sergey Arutyunyan, lead author of the study
Addressing Skin Cancer Concerns
The survey raises concerns that there might be a misperception in terms of how people view prevention.
“The concern here is that participants with high melanin content skin may think they're naturally protected from sunburn, which isn't true. We need to develop tailored sunburn prevention programs to change attitudes and reduce the risk of melanoma,” said Tracy Favreau, M.D.
Making Prevention Rewarding
Despite the availability of melanoma information, the survey also suggests there is still a gap in providing this information to the public. The solution is using technology in new and innovative ways.
"Technology presents effective opportunities to reach people where they are, in ways that will resonate with them personally," said Sergey Arutyunyan, lead author of the study. "To more closely target younger people, we may need an app that gamifies sun protection and rewards taking precautions. Simply warning of the danger is not having an effect."
