Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background Skin diseases impact lives physiologically, socially and psychologically compromising quality of life (QoL). Nails are important epidermal appendages and their disorders contribute to a decrease in QoL. Hence, it is imperative to assess their impact. Objectives To study the modified DLQI in patients with nail disorders. Material & Methods A single-centre, questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care outpatient department over 18 months. Patients with diagnosed nail disorders in the age group of 18-60 years, of either sex, were included in the study and administered a pre-validated questionnaire (designed based on the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire and validated by a departmental pilot study). Based on the responses marked, the total score was calculated, and patients were categorised into specific band groups, namely, 0-1 = No effect on QoL, 2-5 = small effect, 6-10 = moderate effect, 11-20 very large effect and 21-30 = extremely large effect. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 22.2 and correlated with the clinicodemographic profile. Results A total of 200 patients completed the study. Onychomycosis was the most common presentation (52.5%), followed by acute paronychia (23.5%) and nail psoriasis (18%). Higher modified DLQI scores were found in females with fingernail involvement, students and housewives. The number of nails affected and the duration of nail disorders followed an inverted bell-shaped pattern, with higher modified DLQI scores observed at both the lower and higher extremes. Overall, the impact of nail disorders showed a moderate effect on mean modified DLQI with a mean (range) of 6.9 (6-10). Conclusion Nail disorders, having a prolonged disease and treatment course had a moderate effect on the modified DLQI.
Institution: Command Hospital Air Force
Language: English
Topic: Nail Diseases and Treatments
Subfield: Epidemiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4408224080