Clinical characteristics, environmental factors and quality of life of children with atopic dermatitis: A single-centre cross-sectional study from South Africa
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition affecting children worldwide. Limited research exists on AD in rural settings. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics, environmental factors and quality of life of children with AD. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional research design. Children (n = 114) with AD were included in the survey, with parents serving as proxy informants. A semi-structured questionnaire and the validated Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) were used to collect data. Data were analysed using SPSS version 29. Descriptive statistics summarised demographics, clinical characteristics, environmental factors and the impact of AD on children's quality of life. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyse factors associated with the quality of life of children with AD at the 0.05 significance level. RESULTS: The median age of the children was 6 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 4-9 years), with a high prevalence of mild AD (65%). The most affected body parts are the face (33.3%), the hands (23.7%) and the feet (20.2%). Key environmental triggers included pet ownership (81.6%), use of regular soap (98.2%) and seasonal exacerbation during winter (53.9%). Atopic dermatitis had a weak effect on the quality of life of most children (65.2%). The effect of AD on the quality of life was not influenced by gender, age group or the body part affected (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: The quality of life of children in rural settings is primarily impacted by AD in areas such as schooling, sleeping and treatment domain.Contribution: Public health efforts should be scaled up to mitigate the burden of atopic dermatitis.
Source: Curationis
Institution: Walter Sisulu University
Language: English
Subfield: Dermatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $677
OpenAlex ID: W7222649346