Skin Conditions Highly Prevalent in the General Population
abstract
This abstract is available on the publisher's site.
Access this abstract nowIMPORTANCE
Skin disorders are common in the general population, and they may be associated with significant disability. The use of daily skin products may affect the appearance and severity of skin conditions.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the prevalence of reported itchy rash lasting longer than 3 days among the general population and to evaluate lifetime avoidance of different types of consumer products because of skin problems.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
The European Dermato-Epidemiology Network (EDEN) Fragrance Study comprised a large descriptive epidemiological survey of the general population conducted in 6 European regions from August 20, 2008, to October 10, 2011. Participants were a random sample of individuals aged 18 to 74 years, based on electoral precincts. The participants were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. EXPOSURES Lifetime exposure to products of common use was considered, including toiletry items that remained on the skin or were rinsed off and household and functional items.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The 1-month, 1-year, and lifetime age-standardized prevalence rates of itchy rash that lasted longer than 3 days.
RESULTS
In total, 12 377 individuals (53.9% female; median age, 43 years) were interviewed. The overall prevalences of itchy rash were 19.3% (95% CI, 18.6%-20.0%) during the month preceding the interview, 31.8% (95% CI, 31.0%-32.6%) during the preceding year, and 51.7% (95% CI, 50.8%-52.6%) over a lifetime. In addition, the percentage of individuals who reported avoidance of any product varied from 37.0% for products intended to be left on the skin to 17.7% for household or functional products.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Our findings confirmed the magnitude of skin problems among the general population reported in other surveys. Although itchy rash is a nonspecific manifestation, it may be considered in epidemiological surveys to reflect a constellation of skin conditions and to summarize the burden of these conditions on general health.
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Additional Info
Disclosure statements are available on the authors' profiles:
Prevalence of Self-Reported Skin Complaints and Avoidance of Common Daily Life Consumer Products in Selected European Regions
JAMA Dermatol 2013 Dec 25;[EPub Ahead of Print], L Naldi, S Cazzaniga, M Gonçalo, T Diepgen, M Bruze, P Elsner, PJ Coenraads, A Svensson, P Bertuccio, R OfenlochFrom MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
This large study highlights the significant burden of skin disease in the general population. Over 50% of those polled reported an itchy rash lasting > 3 days over their lifetime; the majority was female. Self-declared sensitive or dry skin was also more common in women. This study documented differences in skin rashes based on geographic location; respondents from northern areas reported more itchy rash than than those from southern areas, which is not surprising given differences in climate. Furthermore, location of rash was also specified, with rashes occurring on the extremities, facial skin, and ears more so than the buttocks, genitalia, and axilla. However, interestingly, respondents with rashes in the latter locations more frequently consulted with a physician, indicating what might be most concerning or bothersome to patients. When daily-use products were implicated by the patient—almost one-third—the association was highest for specific locations such as the axilla , genitalia, and hands. Avoidance of household products was overall rather low, which, although not studied, might support the need for testing to help direct patient avoidance in regard to specific rashes, given that > 47% of those seeing physicians were diagnosed with contact dermatitis or eczema. It appears that patients do not associate these products with their dermatitis or choose not to avoid possible irritants or allergens that might contribute to their itchy rash, perhaps indicating the role of further testing and patient education.
This study gives interesting epidemiologic data indicating that skin disease is prevalent and that many patients do not seek medical attention. When they do, contact dermatitis and eczema are common causes of itchy skin lasting > 3 days.