Exploring the associations between discrimination, coping, skin tone, and the psychosocial health of young adults of color.

Although valuable strides have been made in linking racial and ethnic discrimination to health outcomes, scholars have primarily used between-person methodological approaches, which assess the implications of reporting high or low mean levels of discrimination. Alternatively, within-person approaches assess the implications of intraindividual variation, or acute changes, in an individual's exposure to discrimination. These approaches pose two fundamentally different questions about the association between discrimination and health, and empirical work that disaggregates these effects remains scarce. Scholars have also called for research exploring whether sociocultural factors-such as race-related coping and skin tone-contour these associations. To address gaps in extant literature, the current study examined 1) how an individual's average level of exposure to discrimination (between-person) and weekly fluctuations in these encounters (within-person) relate to psychosocial health and 2) whether race-related coping (confrontational and passive coping) and skin tone moderate these associations. Analyses were conducted using weekly diary data from African American and Latinx young adults (n = 140). Findings indicated that reporting higher mean levels of exposure to discrimination and encountering more discrimination than usual on a given week were both associated with poorer psychosocial health. Results also suggest that the efficacy of young adults' coping mechanisms may depend on their skin tone and the nature of the discriminatory events encountered.

Integrating skin color assessments into clinical practice and research: A review of current approaches.

Skin color classification can have importance in skin health, pigmentary disorders, and oncologic condition assessments. It is also critical for evaluating disease course and response to a variety of therapeutic interventions and aids in accurate classification of participants in clinical research studies. A panel of dermatologists conducted a literature review to assess the strengths and limitations of existing classification scales, as well as to compare their preferences and utilities. We identified 17 skin classification systems utilized in dermatologic settings. These systems include a range of parameters such as UV light reactivity, race, ethnicity, and degree of pigmentation. The Fitzpatrick skin type classification is most widely used and validated. However it has numerous limitations including its conflation with race, ethnicity, and skin color. There is a lack of validation data available for the remaining scales. There are significant deficiencies in current skin classification instruments. Consensus-based initiatives to drive the development of validated and reliable tools are critically needed.

Contextual Boundaries: Skin Tone Stratification and Skill Transferability Among Mexicans in the Age of Mass Migration.

An extensive literature has focused on the association between human, social, and economic capital and better immigrant economic attainment, and how these characteristics contribute to stratification among members of the same group. However, few studies have explored how racialization processes contribute to these within-group differences. We examine the role of intragroup differences in skin tone in stratifying outcomes among Mexican immigrants in the early twentieth century. We create a new dataset of 1910-1940 Mexican border-crossing records that we then link to the U.S. 1940 census. We use characteristics at entry to predict income in 1940 and find that-in line with dominant assimilation theories-standard measures of capital are associated with within-group attainment differences. However, we also find skin tone to be a source of within-group stratification: being perceived as having darker skin is associated with lower subsequent economic attainment than being perceived as having lighter skin. Furthermore, whereas human and social capital transcended context to allow migrants to transfer those skills anywhere, the effect of skin tone was significant only in Texas and not in other major receiving places like California. We argue that although standard measures of assimilation typically predict later outcomes, the stratifying effect of skin tone has long been a feature of Mexican immigration.

Characteristics of and foundation application among Chinese females with sensitive skin.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a study on women with sensitive skin of various skin tones to analyse their skin characteristics and preferences for foundation shades. METHODS: Volunteers were categorized based on their individual typological angle, and their preferences were assessed using self-perception and software-based mass aesthetic assessment. The Baumann Questionnaire is a valuable tool for identifying patients with sensitive skin and gaining a comprehensive understanding of their skin sensitivity. The skin characteristics of two groups were compared using a more suitable classification method. RESULTS: Individuals diagnosed with sensitive skin typically have skin tones classified as Types I, II and III, with Type I being the most common in sensitive skin cases. The sensitive group exhibited higher levels of transepidermal water loss, lighter skin tone, lower yellowness, increased glossiness, higher haemoglobin content, more acne, fewer blackheads, and fewer pores. Among them, Type I skin is characterized by lower elasticity, increased oiliness, higher hydration levels and fewer visible pores. Type II skin is characterized by lower hydration levels, higher oiliness and increased redness. Type III exhibits more pores, decreased oiliness and enhanced elasticity. Foundations No. 2 and No. 3 are fairer than foundations No. 1 and No. 4. In the self-assessment, Type I and Type II subjects preferred No. 3, while Type III subjects preferred No. 1 and No. 4 because they matched their skin tone. The results of the software evaluation showed that popular aesthetics preferred Type I and Type II to use No. 2, and Type III to use No. 2 and No. 3, as they resulted in a fairer complexion. CONCLUSION: Sensitive skin of different skin tone types confronts different skin problems. The findings also highlight the public's inclination towards lighter foundation shades, despite the common practice of selecting shades that harmonize with one's inherent skin tone.

OBJECTIF: Nous avons mené une étude sur des femmes à la peau sensible de différentes carnations afin d'analyser les caractéristiques de leur peau et leurs préférences en matière de teintes de fond de teint. MÉTHODES: Les volontaires ont été classées en fonction de leur angle typologique individuel et leurs préférences ont été évaluées à l'aide d'une auto­perception et d'une évaluation esthétique de masse basée sur un logiciel. Le questionnaire de Baumann est un outil précieux pour identifier les patients à la peau sensible et obtenir une compréhension globale de leur sensibilité cutanée. Les caractéristiques cutanées de deux groupes ont été comparées à l'aide d'une méthode de classification plus appropriée. RÉSULTATS: Les personnes chez qui l'on a diagnostiqué une peau sensible ont généralement des teintes de peau classées en types I, II et III, le type I étant le plus courant dans les cas de peau sensible. Le groupe sensible présente des niveaux plus élevés de perte d'eau transépidermique, un teint plus clair, une couleur moins jaune, une brillance accrue, une teneur en hémoglobine plus élevée, plus d'acné, moins de points noirs et moins de pores. Parmi eux, la peau de type I se caractérise par une élasticité plus faible, un taux de sébum plus élevé, des niveaux d'hydratation plus élevés et moins de pores visibles. La peau de type II se caractérise par des niveaux d'hydratation plus faibles, un taux de sébum plus élevé et des rougeurs plus importantes. Le type III présente plus de pores, une diminution de l'aspect gras et une meilleure élasticité. Les fonds de teint n° 2 et n° 3 sont plus clairs que les fonds de teint n° 1 et n° 4. Lors de l'auto­évaluation, les sujets des types I et II ont préféré le fond de teint n° 3, tandis que les sujets du type III ont préféré le fond de teint n° 1 et le fond de teint n° 4 parce qu'ils correspondaient à leur carnation. Les résultats de l'évaluation du logiciel ont montré que l'esthétique populaire préférait que les sujets de type I et de type II utilisent le n° 2, et que les sujets de type III utilisent le n° 2 et le n° 3, car ils donnaient un teint plus clair. CONCLUSION: Les peaux sensibles de différents types de carnation sont confrontées à des problèmes cutanés différents. Les résultats mettent également en évidence le penchant du public pour les teintes de fond de teint plus claires, malgré la pratique courante consistant à choisir des teintes qui s'harmonisent avec le teint inhérent à la peau.

What influences the inclusion of skin tone diversity when teaching skin assessment? Findings from a survey.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the variances in visual skin changes across all skin tones is important in clinical care. However, the experiences of those teaching skin assessment to pre- and post-registrant nurses are unknown. AIMS: To determine the barriers and facilitators experienced in teaching skin assessment across a range of skin tones to pre- and post-registrant nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods online survey was undertaken throughout February and March 2023 based on the Theoretical Domains Framework of behaviour change. FINDINGS: In this self-selecting sample, most participants were aware of why it was important to include all skin tones when teaching skin assessment and were professionally motivated to include this in their practice. However, resources and support are needed to overcome an unconscious bias in teaching skin tone diversity, resulting in a lack of availability of good quality photographs and educator confidence in their own skills. Educators not considering skin tone when selecting patient cases and relying on people with dark skin tones to highlight where practice is not inclusive may also lead to insufficient exposure for students. CONCLUSION: There is some awareness of the importance of including diverse skin tones in teaching, but further education and resources are needed.

Generation of skin tone and pigmented region-modified images using a pigment discrimination model trained with an optical approach.

BACKGROUND: Skin tone and pigmented regions, associated with melanin and hemoglobin, are critical indicators of skin condition. While most prior research focuses on pigment analysis, the capability to simulate diverse pigmentation conditions could greatly broaden the range of applications. However, current methodologies have limitations in terms of numerical control and versatility. METHODS: We introduce a hybrid technique that integrates optical methods with deep learning to produce skin tone and pigmented region-modified images with numerical control. The pigment discrimination model produces melanin, hemoglobin, and shading maps from skin images. The outputs are reconstructed into skin images using a forward problem-solving approach, with model training aimed at minimizing the discrepancy between the reconstructed and input images. By adjusting the melanin and hemoglobin maps, we create pigment-modified images, allowing precise control over changes in melanin and hemoglobin levels. Changes in pigmentation are quantified using the individual typology angle (ITA) for skin tone and melanin and erythema indices for pigmented regions, validating the intended modifications. RESULTS: The pigment discrimination model achieved correlation coefficients with clinical equipment of 0.915 for melanin and 0.931 for hemoglobin. The alterations in the melanin and hemoglobin maps exhibit a proportional correlation with the ITA and pigment indices in both quantitative and qualitative assessments. Additionally, regions overlaying melanin and hemoglobin are demonstrated to verify independent adjustments. CONCLUSION: The proposed method offers an approach to generate modified images of skin tone and pigmented regions. Potential applications include visualizing alterations for clinical assessments, simulating the effects of skincare products, and generating datasets for deep learning.

Factors influencing the sex ratio at birth in the United States from a historical perspective.

Many of the studies on the sex ratio at birth (SRB) are based on a small number of cases over a short period of time. Taking a multivariate approach to a dataset consisting of nearly 199 million birth records in the United States from 1968 to 2019, we present a detailed analysis of several possible factors that might affect the sex ratio at birth (SRB) and its patterns of variation. We found that race/ethnicity is the variable with the strongest influence on this index. Parental age, birth order and solar radiation also have a bearing on the SRB, albeit only to a moderate degree. The historical evolution of the SRB among Black and American Indian and Alaska Native populations remains unexplained.

Skin Color Representation in Teaching Photographs: One Institution's Approach to Addressing Visual Racism in Medical Education.

Problem: Visual racism refers to both the underrepresentation and inappropriate representation of darker skin types in medical education. By not teaching medical students and resident physicians to recognize common conditions in darker skin, it perpetuates biases that contribute to healthcare disparities for racial and ethnic minoritized groups. In this paper we describe our efforts to engage in institutional anti-racism work by addressing imbalances in representation of darker skin types in visual teaching images within our institution's curriculum. Intervention: We initially surveyed preclinical medical students regarding their perceptions of skin color representation in two courses. Researchers recorded the skin types of all teaching photographs in these courses in 2020. We then provided feedback and education to faculty, proposing that they increase brown and black skin color representation in educational content. During 2021, we reviewed the same courses and surveyed students again to ascertain the implementation and impact of our proposal. Context: We applied our intervention to two courses, Host & Defense (H&D) and Skin, Muscle, Bone, and Joint (SMBJ) since both courses utilize a large number of teaching images. Impact: From 2020 to 2021, both H&D and SMBJ significantly increased the proportion of visual teaching images that included darker skin types, with an increase from 28% to 42% in H&D and 20% to 30% in SMBJ. Significantly more students in the courses' 2021 iterations (73% in H&D, 93% in SMBJ) felt that lectures had appropriate representations of darker skin types when compared to students who took the course in 2020 (8% in H&D, 51% in SMBJ). Students in 2021 felt more confident in recognizing dermatological signs and symptoms in patients with darker skin than students in 2020. The majority of students in both 2020 and 2021 reported wanting to see a gradient of skin types for every dermatological condition discussed. Lessons learned: Our work suggests that addressing visual racism can be achieved partly by setting expectations for increased visual representation, collaborating across educational departments, and establishing clear metrics for assessing implementation. Future interventions will require a continual feedback loop of monitoring learning material, assessing faculty and student perception, refining resources, and recommending revisions to improve visual representation across the entire curriculum.

Skin tone and wound care: bridging the knowledge and care provision gap.

A wound care practitioner will likely encounter and care for an increasing number of patients with a wider variety of skin tones on a daily basis. However, wound care research and education does not yet reflect the realities of clinical practice, resulting in compromised care provision and the reinforcement of healthcare inequities. Here, Francesca Ramadan outlines both the quantitative and qualitative steps that can be taken to facilitate more inclusive and culturally sensitive care provision in research, education and clinical practice.

Assessing and documenting dark skin tones in stoma care.

The stoma care nurse (SCN) assesses peristomal skin during each patient intervention. Living in a diverse multicultural society, the SCN needs to consider dark skin tones and how these are documented. This article looks at how the literature on peristomal skin assessment and available tools discuss skin colour, and compare this with the tissue viability literature. Stoma care and peristomal skin literature features very little about skin colour. Registered nurses are often unaware of the differences when assessing light skin tones versus dark skin tones. The article discusses how to assess for, identify and document problems around peristomal skin with patients who have dark skin tones. The differences in skin breakdown between light skin tones and dark skin tones are highlighted. There needs to be further research and development of tools to assist clinicians in identification and documentation relating to skin tone, thus providing consistency in assessment.

Pressure-Mediated Reflection Spectroscopy Criterion Validity as a Biomarker of Fruit and Vegetable Intake: A 2-Site Cross-Sectional Study of 4 Racial or Ethnic Groups.

BACKGROUND: Valid biomarkers of fruit and vegetable (FV) intake are needed for field-based nutrition research. OBJECTIVES: To examine criterion-related validity of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy as a proxy measure of FV intake, using plasma carotenoids and self-reported FV and carotenoid intake as primary and secondary criterion measures, respectively. METHODS: Healthy adults 18-65 y of age, self-identifying as African American/black (n = 61), Asian (n = 53), white (n = 70), or Hispanic (n = 29), in North Carolina and Minnesota were recruited. Skin carotenoids were assessed via pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy (Veggie Meter), skin melanin via spectrophotometer, and total plasma carotenoid concentration by HPLC-photodiode array detection. Self-reported carotenoid and FV intake was assessed using a semiquantitative FFQ. Relations between skin carotenoids, plasma carotenoids, FV, and carotenoid intake, with differences by race or ethnicity, age, sex, weight status, cholesterol, and melanin index, were examined by bivariate correlations and adjusted multivariate linear regressions. RESULTS: The overall unadjusted correlation between skin and total plasma carotenoids was r = 0.71 and ranged from 0.64 (non-Hispanic black) to 0.80 (Hispanic). Correlations between skin carotenoids and self-reported FV intake ranged from 0.24 (non-Hispanic black) to 0.53 (non-Hispanic white), with an overall correlation of r = 0.35. In models adjusted for age, sex, racial or ethnic group, and BMI, skin carotenoids were associated with plasma carotenoids (R2 = 0.55), FV (R2 = 0.17), and carotenoid intake (R2 = 0.20). For both plasma carotenoid and FV measures, associations with skin carotenoids did not vary by race, but these relations did differ by skin melanin-those with lower melanin had a lower correlation between skin and plasma carotenoids. CONCLUSIONS: Reflection spectroscopy-assessed skin carotenoids may be a reasonable alternative to measurement of plasma carotenoids, a biomarker used to approximate FV intake.

Skin Tone and the Health Returns to Higher Status.

This study addresses two questions. First, why do Black Americans exhibit worse health outcomes than White Americans even at higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES)? Second, are diminished health returns to higher status concentrated among Black Americans with darker skin color? Novel hypotheses are tested with biosocial panel data from Add Health, a nationally representative cohort of Black and White adolescents who have transitioned to adulthood. We find that White and light-skin Black respondents report improved health after achieving higher SES, on average, while their darker-skin Black peers report declining health. These patterns persist regardless of controls for adolescent health status and unmeasured between-person heterogeneity. Moreover, increased inflammation tied to unfair treatment and perceptions of lower status helps to account for patterns of diminished health returns for dark-skin Black groups. Our study is the first to document skin tone heterogeneity in diminished health returns and one of few studies to identify life course stress processes underlying such disparities. We consider additional processes that could be examined in future studies, as well as the broader health and policy implications of our findings.

A Potential Role of Keratinocyte-Derived Bilirubin in Human Skin Yellowness and Its Amelioration by Sucrose Laurate/Dilaurate.

Sallow and/or dull skin appearance is greatly attributable to the yellow components of skin tone. Bilirubin is a yellow chromophore known to be made in the liver and/or spleen and is transported throughout the body via the blood stream. Recent publications suggest bilirubin may be synthesized in other cells/organs, including the skin. We found human keratinocytes express the transcripts involved in bilirubin biosynthesis. In parallel, we also found human keratinocytes could indeed synthesize bilirubin in monolayer keratinocytes and in a 3D human skin-equivalent model. The synthesized amount was substantial enough to contribute to skin yellowness. In addition, oxidative stress enhanced bilirubin production. Using UnaG, a protein that forms a fluorescent species upon binding to bilirubin, we also visualized the intracellular expression of bilirubin in keratinocytes. Finally, we screened a compound library and discovered that the sucrose laurate/dilaurate (SDL) combination significantly reduced bilirubin levels, as well as bilirubin-mediated yellowness. In conclusion, bilirubin is indeed synthesized in epidermal keratinocytes and can be upregulated by oxidative stress, which could contribute to chronic or transient yellow skin tone appearance. Application of SDL diminishes bilirubin generation and may be a potential solution to mitigate yellowish and/or dull skin appearance.

Research on antioxidant performance of diglucosyl gallic acid and its application in emulsion cosmetics.

OBJECTIVE: Diglucosyl gallic acid is a whitening active with powerful whitening function. When it acts on human skin, microorganisms on the skin surface and part of the stratum corneum produce α-glucosidase to sever the glucose bond of diglucosyl gallic acid, thereby converting part of diglucosyl gallic acid into gallic acid, acting on the skin and exerting the excellent effects of diglucosyl gallic acid and gallic acid at the same time. Diglucosyl gallic acid has high stability and water solubility, it can reduce free radical generation, inhibit tyrosinase generation, prevent melanin transfer, and control skin inflammation. The present study investigates the in vitro tyrosinase inhibition activity, antioxidant capacity of diglucosyl gallic acid as well as its clinical efficacy as a cosmetic ingredient. METHODS: Taking VC and gallic acid as controls, the pH = 6.8, 0.05 mmol/L Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4 buffer solution was prepared to test the tyrosinase inhibitory activity and antioxidant capacity of diglucosyl gallic acid respectively. Using arbutin and nicotinamide, two common cosmetic raw materials as controls, 20 volunteers (aged 20-35 years old) were selected for the test. (2 ± 0.1) mg/cm2 take the lotion to be tested and apply it to the test part evenly, twice a day, volunteers are not allowed to use sunscreen or other sunscreen products during the study period. RESULTS: The results show that diglucosyl gallic acid has a stronger ability to inhibit the activity of tyrosinase compared with VC, and its IC50 value is 2.68 mg/ mL. Their potential antioxidant activities are further evaluated by the DPPH (α, α-diphenyl-ß-picrylhydrazyl) method and the ABTS [2,2´-azinobis-(3-ethylbenz othiazoline-6-sulphonate)] radical cation (ABTS+) method, in which the gallic acid demonstrates a better performance than the traditional antioxidant vitamin C (VC), while the diglucosyl gallic acid shows poorer performance. As to the reducing ability, VC has the best performance, much better than gallic acid and diglucosyl gallic acid. Furthermore, through clinical experiments, it is shown the application of the diglucosyl gallic acid as a cosmetic ingredient can considerably improve the brightness of the skin and meanwhile reduce the area of ultraviolet spots, melanin and erythema over time. CONCLUSION: The above in vitro and in vivo studies on diglucosyl gallic provide the basis for its future application development in cosmetics.

OBJECTIF: L'acide diglucosyl gallique est un actif blanchissant doté d'une puissante fonction blanchissante. Lorsqu'il agit sur la peau humaine, les microorganismes à la surface de la peau et une partie de la couche cornée produisent de l'α-glucosidase pour rompre la liaison glucose de l'acide diglucosyl gallique, convertissant ainsi une partie de l'acide diglucosyl gallique en acide gallique, agissant sur la peau et exerçant les excellents effets de l'acide diglucosyl gallique et de l'acide gallique en même temps. L'acide diglucosyl gallique a une stabilité et une solubilité dans l'eau élevées, il peut réduire la génération de radicaux libres, inhiber la génération de tyrosinase, empêcher le transfert de mélanine et contrôler l'inflammation cutanée. La présente étude examine l'activité d'inhibition de la tyrosinase in vitro, la capacité antioxydante de l'acide diglucosyl gallique ainsi que son efficacité clinique en tant qu'ingrédient cosmétique. MÉTHODE: En prenant VC (vitamine C) et l'acide gallique comme témoins, la solution tampon pH = 6,8, 0,05 mmol / L Na2HPO4-NaH2PO4 a été préparée pour tester respectivement l'activité inhibitrice de la tyrosinase et la capacité antioxydante de l'acide diglucosyl gallique. En utilisant l'arbutine et le nicotinamide, deux matières premières cosmétiques courantes comme témoins, 20 volontaires (âgés de 20 à 35 ans) ont été sélectionnés pour le test. Prendre la lotion à tester et l'appliquer (2 ± 0,1) mg/cm2 uniformément sur la partie testée, deux fois par jour, les volontaires ne sont pas autorisés à utiliser de crème solaire ou d'autres produits de protection solaire pendant la période d'étude. RÉSULTATS: Les résultats montrent que l'acide diglucosyl gallique a une capacité plus forte à inhiber l'activité de la tyrosinase par rapport au VC, et sa valeur IC50 est de 2,68 mg/mL. Leurs activités antioxydantes potentielles sont ensuite évaluées par la méthode DPPH (α, α-diphényl-ß-picrylhydrazyl) et la méthode ABTS [2,2´-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate)] radical cation (ABTS+), dans laquelle l'acide gallique présente de meilleures performances que la vitamine C (VC) antioxydante traditionnelle, tandis que l'acide diglucosyl gallique présente de moins bonnes performances. Quant au pouvoir réducteur, la VC a les meilleures performances, bien meilleures que l'acide gallique et l'acide diglucosyl gallique. De plus, à travers des expériences cliniques, il est démontré que l'application de l'acide diglucosyl gallique en tant qu'ingrédient cosmétique peut considérablement améliorer la luminosité de la peau et réduire en même temps la surface des taches de soleil, de la mélanine et de l'érythème au fil du temps. CONCLUSION: Les études in vitro et in vivo ci-dessus sur le diglucosyl gallique constituent la base de son futur développement d'applications en cosmétique.

Pressure injuries and skin tone diversity in undergraduate nurse education: Qualitative perspectives from a mixed methods study.

AIMS: To, firstly, explore student and academic nurse perceptions of classroom content about the assessment and identification of pressure injuries across skin tone diversity and, secondly, to describe the impact of classroom content on student nurse understanding of pressure injury in people with dark skin tones. DESIGN: Qualitative case study employing focus groups and semi-structured interviews. METHODS: Five higher education institutions in the United Kingdom were purposively chosen. At each of the five-case sites, one focus group with student nurses and one semi-structured interview with a nurse academic were conducted between May 2018 and April 2019. The participants' narratives were transcribed verbatim and analysed via thematic analysis. RESULTS: Classroom learning was predominately framed through a white lens with white normativity being strongly reinforced through teaching and learning activities. This reinforcement of white normativity was evidenced through two main themes: (i) dominance of whiteness in the teaching and learning of pressure injuries in undergraduate nurse education and (ii) the impact and implications for student nurses of whiteness as the norm in pressure injury teaching. CONCLUSION: Nurses responsible for the design and delivery of teaching and learning experiences for nursing students need to ensure meaningful teaching and learning experiences. This learning should assist future nurses to interrogate their complicity in a system of white dominance. IMPACT: Nurse education delivered today influences and shapes nurses of the future. Nurses are the cornerstone of healthcare and play a significant role in the delivery of equitable healthcare. Nurse academics have a duty of care to inform and highlight health inequities in nursing and ultimately to enhance equity in care.

Juror perceptions of the stereotypical violent crime defendant.

Stereotypes and prejudice have been shown to bias information processing and decision-making. There are physical traits that are stereotypically associated with criminals (i.e. tattoos, dark skin-tone, facial untrustworthiness) and have been shown to influence juror decision-making. The current research aimed to investigate the effects of tattoos, facial trustworthiness and skin tone on juror case judgments and criminal appearance ratings, while also investigating and accounting for prejudice and motivation to respond without prejudice. Participants (n = 426) were asked to act as mock jurors in a hypothetical assault case by making case judgments and responding to appearance and attitude measures. Criminal appearance ratings indirectly mediated the relationship between physical traits and verdict decisions. Additionally, a significant interaction emerged between skin tone and racial prejudice on criminal appearance ratings, suggesting that the effects of physical traits may depend on individual attitudes. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Does Skin Tone Matter? Immigrant Mobility in the U.S. Labor Market.

A rich literature has documented the negative association between dark skin tone and many dimensions of U.S.-born Americans' life chances. Despite the importance of both skin tone and immigration in the American experience, few studies have explored the effect of skin tone on immigrant assimilation longitudinally. I analyze data from the New Immigrant Survey (NIS) 2003 to examine how skin tone is associated with occupational achievement at three time points: the last job held abroad, the first job held in the United States, and the current job. Dark-skinned immigrants experience steeper downward mobility at arrival in the United States and slower subsequent upward mobility relative to light-skinned immigrants, net of human and social capital, race/ethnicity, country of origin, visa type, and demographics. These findings shed light on multiple current literatures, including segmented assimilation theory, the multidimensionality of race, and the U.S. racial hierarchy.

Investigation of symptoms of hand skin changes with aging in Korean women and development of a new standard grading scale for hand aging.

BACKGROUND: Skin aging, particularly facial skin, has been actively studied. However, hand skin research is limited. METHODS: Aging symptoms of 100 hands of Korean women aged from 20s to 60s were measured by noninvasive and bioengineering methods. Standard grade images were produced. RESULTS: As people got older, skin wrinkles were getting worse and skin tone was uneven with the occurrence of structural flexion. For each symptom, a suitable standard photograph of the skin of the hand was chosen and a new grading scale was made. CONCLUSIONS: The new grading scale developed in the present study could be employed in studies to explore aging of hand skin as one of objective indicators.

The color of death: race, observed skin tone, and all-cause mortality in the United States.

Objective: This paper examines how mortality covaries with observed skin tone among blacks and in relation to whites. Additionally, the study analyzes the extent to which social factors such as socioeconomic status affect this relationship. Design: This study uses data from the 1982 General Social Survey (N = 1,689) data linked to the National Death Index until 2008. We use this data to examine the links between race, observed skin tone among blacks, and all-cause mortality. Piecewise exponential hazard modeling was used to estimate disparities in skin tone mortality among blacks, and relative to whites. The multivariate models control for age, education, gender, region, metropolitan statistical area, marital status, labor force status, and household income. Results: Observed skin tone is a significant determinant of mortality among blacks and in relation to whites. Light skinned blacks had the lowest mortality hazards among blacks, while respondents with medium and dark brown skin experienced significantly higher mortality. The observed skin tone mortality disparities covaried with education; there are significant mortality disparities across observed skin tone groups among black respondents with high school or more education, and nonsignificant disparities among those with less education. Conclusion: It is crucial to identify the social processes driving racial disparities in health and mortality. The findings reveal that the nuanced social experiences of blacks with different observed skin tones markedly change the experience of racial inequality. Research on the nuanced social processes and biological mechanisms that connect differences in observed skin tone to mortality outcomes promises to better illuminate the experience of racial inequality and policy mechanisms we can use to undermine it.

The role of feature-based discrimination in driving health disparities among Black Americans.

Objective: A growing body of research finds that darker skin tone is often associated with poorer physical and mental health in Blacks. However, the psychosocial mechanisms underlying the skin tone-health link remain elusive. The present study seeks to address this knowledge gap by investigating the direct and indirect (through perceived discrimination, socioeconomic status, and self-esteem) effects of skin tone on self-reported physical and mental health.Design: An urban sample of 130 Blacks aged 35 and above completed a self-administered computerized survey as a part of larger cross-sectional study.Results: Self-esteem played a particularly important role in mediating the associations between skin tone and self-reported physical and mental health. This suggests that self-esteem could be a point of intervention to help Blacks with darker skin tone achieve better health.Conclusion: The present study highlights the important role feature-based discrimination plays in determining mental and physical health outcomes among Blacks.