Various facial colour cues were identified as valid predictors of facial attractiveness, yet the conventional univariate approach has simplified the complex nature of attractiveness judgement for real human faces. Predicting attractiveness from colour cues is difficult due to the high number of candidate variables and their inherent correlations. Using datasets from Chinese subjects, this study proposed a novel analytic framework for modelling attractiveness from various colour characteristics. One hundred images of real human faces were used in experiments and an extensive set of 65 colour features were extracted. Two separate attractiveness evaluation sets of data were collected through psychophysical experiments in the UK and China as training and testing datasets, respectively. Eight multivariate regression strategies were compared for their predictive accuracy and simplicity. The proposed methodology achieved a comprehensive assessment of diverse facial colour features and their role in attractiveness judgements of real faces; improved the predictive accuracy (the best-fit model achieved an out-of-sample accuracy of 0.66 on a 7-point scale) and significantly mitigated the issue of model overfitting; and effectively simplified the model and identified the most important colour features. It can serve as a useful and repeatable analytic tool for future research on facial impression modelling using high-dimensional datasets.

In a prepurchase situation, consumers base their choice decision on external fruit characteristics, from which they infer internal characteristics. This study investigates consumer preference for pomegranate appearance using a choice-based conjoint analysis with 320 participants. We created 27 images of pomegranates that differed in varietal characteristics: colour (yellow, bicoloured, and red), shape (round, oval, and flattened), and calyx shape (open, semi-open, and closed). Colour was by far the most important factor for consumers, followed by fruit shape and calyx shape. Two preference profiles were identified. Most consumers liked bicolour and red pomegranates equally, and rejected yellow ones, while a smaller group concentrated their choice on bicolour pomegranates. In terms of fruit and calyx shape, oval and flattened fruit and open calyx were the most preferred by both consumer groups. Barriers and drivers for consumption were also investigated. There is still plenty of room to increase pomegranate consumption. Greater availability of pomegranates and ready-to-eat arils in grocery shops, obtaining new unseeded/easier-to-peel varieties, and providing a sensory label would help to overcome current barriers. Marketing campaigns should focus on a pomegranate\'s health benefits and its versatility in consumption.

Sun safety research has mainly been conducted in the West, whereas little is known about sun protection practices in India. Using a survey design with a representative sample, we aimed to understand the frequency of sun protection practices in India. We also examined associations between demographic covariates and sun safe behaviours. We surveyed a representative sample (N = 1560) from the Indian population in November 2022. The study variables included sun safe behaviours, sunburn experience, demographic information, and skin tone. We employed descriptive and regression analyses to examine the prevalence of behaviours and their associations. To mitigate potential sampling biases, we applied poststratification weights in the analyses. More than half of the participants (64.2%) routinely performed at least one sun safe behaviour, with only 4.9% of the sample reporting no engagement with sun safe behaviours in the last 12 months. Physical protection (e.g., long sleeves, shade/umbrella) were more common than sunscreen use. Regression analysis showed that higher subjective social status, being younger, and living in one of the Eastern Indian states were the strongest predictors of sun protection practices. Our findings fill an important knowledge gap in global sun safe research, highlighting the urgent need for public sun safety education. Scalable and targeted interventions are needed to promote sun safety awareness and practices among people.

Skin pigmentation is the most variable human characteristic that can be observed and has been used throughout history to classify humans into distinct groups. Many factors influence skin colour, but the melanin pigment is considered the most important because its type and quantity can determine variations in pigmentation shades. The evolution of skin pigmentation started around 1.6-2 million years ago. As a result of migratory phenomena to places with less ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and other seasonal regimes, the selection of depigmented skin and different tanning capabilities occurred over time. Thus, genetic adaptation to new environmental conditions gradually led to changes in skin pigmentation. Despite the biological importance of pigmentation, variation in skin colour has led to social and health inequalities. Since Linnaeus, skin colour classifications have been used to describe different human groups, encouraging the misuse of a biological characteristic. This review examines the characterisation of pigmentation and its evolution through history and society. The unequal perception of pigmentation diversity has led to an incomplete state of dermatological training and issues in medical approach in dermatology. The consciousness of all these aspects increases the need to address and overcome dermatologic and social health disparities related to skin pigmentation.

Facial skin colour, a key factor related to impressions, is widely used by CG character designers to build characters with different storylines. The previous research provided essential suggestions for creating an attractive facial image. However, the suggestions of the prior research are insufficient for building the characters to resonate with the current public, especially young people. The present study investigates the influence of skin colour (whiteness and hue angle) on the femininity, masculinity and likableness perception of Chinese female and male images. A psychophysical experiment was carried out to investigate these relationships. The categorical judgement results reveal that whiteness significantly impacted the feminine-masculine perception of the Chinese male image and the likableness perception of the Chinese female and male image. This connection between the whiteness and likability of the male facial image could be related to the beauty trends in the last decade. The hue angle only significantly influenced the likability perception of the Chinese female image. This result is agreed with past research in the same area.

UNASSIGNED: There is conflicting information about the relationship between tooth color and skin color in the literature. The aim of the present study was evaluation of the correlation between L, a, b values of skin and tooth shade using a new skin color measurement method.
UNASSIGNED: CIELab values of teeth were obtained through measurements from the middle third of the labial surfaces on central incisors of individuals using a clinical spectrophotometer. CIELab values of the skin were measured through facial images using a software which was manufactured for present study. A statistical analysis program (SAS 9.4) was used for the analysis of the data. Kolmogorov-Smirnow test, t-test, and multivariate regression analysis were used to evaluate the data (α=0.05).
UNASSIGNED: Correlations between variables revealed that while the lowest and statistically insignificant correlations were observed with a* values of the skin, significant correlations did not exceed moderate level (p < .05). When considering regression analysis results, b* values of the skin had a statistically significant effect in describing b* values of the tooth, while L* and a* values of the skin were observed to be insufficient in describing L* and a* values of the teeth.
UNASSIGNED: Results of this study suggest that different significant correlations were observed between the skin and tooth color for different L*, a*, and b parameters (p <0.05 and p <0.01). The results indicated that skin color can be used for tooth color selection in case of loss of natural teeth or when discoloration is present on existing teeth.

Technology for rapid, non-invasive and accurate determination of fruit maturity is increasingly sought after in horticultural industries. This study investigated the ability to predict fruit maturity of yellow peach cultivars using a prototype non-destructive fluorescence spectrometer. Collected spectra were analysed to predict flesh firmness (FF), soluble solids concentration (SSC), index of absorbance difference (IAD), skin and flesh colour attributes (i.e., a* and H°) and maturity classes (immature, harvest-ready and mature) in four yellow peach cultivars-\'August Flame\', \'O\'Henry\', \'Redhaven\' and \'September Sun\'. The cultivars provided a diverse range of maturity indices. The fluorescence spectrometer consistently predicted IAD and skin colour in all the cultivars under study with high accuracy (Lin\'s concordance correlation coefficient > 0.85), whereas flesh colour\'s estimation was always accurate apart from \'Redhaven\'. Except for \'September Sun\', good prediction of FF and SSC was observed. Fruit maturity classes were reliably predicted with a high likelihood (F1-score = 0.85) when samples from the four cultivars were pooled together. Further studies are needed to assess the performance of the fluorescence spectrometer on other fruit crops. Work is underway to develop a handheld version of the fluorescence spectrometer to improve the utility and adoption by fruit growers, packhouses and supply chain managers.

BACKGROUND:   The relation between race, ethnicity and health has been recognised as having an important role in the understanding of social inequalities in health. In Brazil, miscegenation (the mixing of different ethnicities or races, especially in marriage) is recognised as a sign of racial tolerance, but individuals with black skin colour have poorer social and health indicators than whites. The hypothesis that perceived racial discrimination is associated with depression and depressive symptoms among adolescents living in a Brazilian urban area is analysed, taking into consideration sociodemographic variables, socioeconomic status and skin colour.
METHODS:   This paper presents results from a cross-sectional study carried out with a random one-stage cluster sampling of households in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The study population comprises 973 individuals from 10 to 21 years of age who answered questionnaires about racial discrimination, socio-demographic and health-related variables. Major depression according to DSM-IV criteria was assessed using a validated Portuguese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). The overall prevalence of major depression was estimated as 10.4%.
RESULTS:   No statistically significant differences were found for prevalence of major depression or any depressive symptom according to skin colour (Black versus non-Black). However, adolescents who reported racial discrimination were more likely to have major depression, even after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status, skin colour and self-esteem (Adjusted Prevalence ratio = 2.00, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.37-2.97). Low self-esteem was not associated with racial discrimination.
CONCLUSIONS:   Depression among adolescents is a common disorder. Skin colour, a biological component of ethnic differences, was not a factor associated with depression or depressive symptoms. Instead, the perception of racial discrimination was a strong potential risk factor for major depression in this population group, which needs to be addressed in further studies and considered in preventive and mental health care programs.

BACKGROUND: Farmworkers in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, are at risk of excessive exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (sUVR) due to both their work and the sUVR environment in the geographic area. However, the natural protection provided by this group\'s skin against sUVR has not been quantified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the subjective and objective skin colour of a group of farmworkers in order to classify the natural photoprotection provided by melanin and to evaluate the different measurement methods.
METHODS: Skin colour was established by using the subjective Fitzpatrick skin phototype system (FST) questionnaire and two objective methods, namely the individual typology angle (ITA°) and melanin index (MI). A total of 71 farmworkers participated in the study.
RESULTS: Black Africans tended to perceive their skin to be lighter than objectively measured, potentially due to cultural factors. The constitutive skin colour of most farmworkers was objectively classified in the FST V/brown group. Significant differences were found between the ITA° and MI of sun-exposed (constitutive) and non-sun-exposed (facultative) skin in Black African and White farmworkers. A strong correlation was found between ITA° and MI on different anatomical positions indicating both methods are appropriate to determine skin colour in deeply pigmented skin.
CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of skin colour with the use of both subjective and objective methods may be used to design an effective photoprotection programme for farmworkers in the Limpopo Province.

Although many genes have been shown to be associated with human pigmentary traits and forensic prediction assays exist (e.g. HIrisPlex-S), the genetic knowledge about skin colour remains incomplete. The highly admixed Brazilian population is an interesting study population for investigation of the complex genotype-phenotype architecture of human skin colour because of its large variation. Here, we compared variants in 22 pigmentary genes with quantitative skin pigmentation levels on the buttock, arm, and forehead areas of 266 genetically admixed Brazilian individuals. The genetic ancestry of each individual was estimated by typing 46 AIM-InDels. The mean proportion of genetic ancestry was 68.8% European, 20.8% Sub-Saharan African, and 10.4% Native American. A high correlation (adjusted R2 = 0.65, p < 0.05) was observed between nine SNPs and quantitative skin pigmentation using multiple linear regression analysis. The correlations were notably smaller between skin pigmentation and biogeographic ancestry (adjusted R2 = 0.45, p < 0.05), or markers in the leading forensic skin colour prediction system, the HIrisPlex-S (adjusted R2 = 0.54, p < 0.05). Four of the nine SNPs, OCA2 rs1448484 (rank 2), APBA2 rs4424881 (rank 4), MFSD12 rs10424065 (rank 8), and TYRP1 1408799 (rank 9) were not investigated as part of the HIrisPlex-S selection process, and therefore not included in the HIrisPlex-S model. Our results indicate that these SNPs account for a substantial part of the skin colour variation in individuals of admixed ancestry. Hence, we suggest that these SNPs are considered when developing future skin colour prediction models.