Photographic representation of skin tones in three dermatology journals.

ABSTRACT

Although ethnic diversity is rising in the United States, educational resources continue to lag behind, as evidenced by prior studies highlighting limited skin of color representation in dermatology resources. The objective of this study was to evaluate the representation of skin tones in three dermatology journals commonly used in resident education and journal clubs. Overall, 5.6% (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology), 4.1% (JAMA Dermatology), and 8.3% (Pediatric Dermatology) of images in the journals were depicted on "Dark" skin (Fitzpatrick V-VI). Disparities in skin of color representation exist in three dermatology journals used in medical education in the United States.