Skin Cancer Risk and Sun Safety in LGBTQ+ Communities in Canada
Author Information
Author(s): François Lagacé, Farhan Mahmood, Santina Conte, Mija Lorena A., Amina Moustaqim-Barrette, Jonathan LeBeau, Alyson McKenna, Mahan Maazi, Johnny Hanna, Alexandra Sarah Victoria Kelly, Raquel Lazarowitz, Elham Rahme, Travis J. Hrubeniuk, Ellen Sweeney, Ivan V. Litvinov
Primary Institution: McGill University
Hypothesis
What are the skin cancer risk factors and sun-protective behaviors among LGBTQ+ individuals in Canada?
Conclusion
The study highlights the need for targeted public health campaigns to improve sun safety practices in the LGBTQ+ community.
Supporting Evidence
- 60% of participants reported more than 10 lifetime sunburns.
- 58% reported at least one blistering sunburn.
- 34% had used a tanning bed at least once.
- 69% reported having a tan in the last 12 months.
- Only half of the respondents regularly used sunscreen.
Takeaway
Many LGBTQ+ people in Canada don't use sunscreen enough and get sunburned a lot, which can lead to skin cancer. We need to teach them better sun safety.
Methodology
A national survey study was conducted with LGBTQ+ respondents aged ≥ 16 years, using logistic regression models for analysis.
Potential Biases
Open recruitment strategies may have led to selection bias, with a higher number of educated participants than the general population.
Limitations
Some comparison groups had fewer than 250 respondents, which limited statistical significance, and there may be recall bias due to reliance on memory.
Participant Demographics
59.3% women, median age 38 years, majority identified as non-Hispanic White or European Canadian.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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