Sociocultural Construction of Skin Cancer Risk Perception: Correlates and Recommendations for Community-Based Prevention Programmes

Abstract

Skin cancer is a serious public health threat, particularly among Latino farm workers for whom the incidence of skin cancer is rising. Public health interventions for such populations can be based upon a social science definition of risk that is founded upon sound epidemiological evidence. Such a definition comes from understanding how socioeconomic status predisposes individuals to excessive risk exposure, such as ultraviolet radiation by Latino farm workers. Interventions that begin from this understanding must be based on culturally-appropriate measures utilizing community members as health workers that are more readily accepted. Public health practitioners must also become better advocates for policy changes that will make the use of protective clothing akin to the use of protective measures in other occupational groups.

Keywords: skin cancer, public health, risk perception, risk assessment, social epidemiology, medical anthropology, prevention, community-based prevention, intervention programmes, structural violence