Prevalence of skin diseases in school-age children

Abstract

Abstract Background The prevalence of community-based skin diseases, especially among school-age children, depends on topography, climate, and age of population. Objective We determined the prevalence of skin diseases among community-based primary school-age children and identified demographic characteristics in relation to particular skin conditions. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey study of a subproject school cohort in children aged 5–14 years of 2 community-based primary schools. Demographic data and whole-body skin examination were collected. The association of individual skin conditions was analysed by using bivariate and multivariable binary logistic regression. Results A total of 556 children were enrolled in this study. Of these, 90.2% had at least 1 skin disease. The most common skin disease was postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) (58.3%), followed by nevus/mole (40.1%), insect bite reaction (28.0%), acanthosis nigricans (20.0%), acne (13.7%), and pityriasis alba (12.9%). There was an increase of body mass index (BMI) in PIH and acanthosis nigricans with the adjusted odds ratios of 2.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40–2.87, P < 0.001) and 1.93 (95% CI 1.49–2.49, P < 0.001), respectively. Insect bite reaction was related to PIH with the adjusted odds ratio of 5.66 (95% CI 3.15–10.17, P = 0.001). Conclusions The most common skin disease in community-based primary school-age children is PIH which related to acanthosis nigricans and insect bite reaction. A decrease of BMI may lower the risk for PIH and acanthosis nigricans. Education on common skin diseases is recommended for both community-based schools and school-age children.