Clinical Features of Atopic Dermatitis in Urban and Rural Areas

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has increased in recent decades. Although the genetic predisposition to this disease has been implicated, environmental factors may play a critical role in the disease expression. Objective: We investigated the prevalence of AD symptoms and the effects of suspected environmental factors in rural and urban areas of Gyeonggi Province in Korea. Methods: This study was carried out among 210 patients with AD. We asked them to fill out a questionnaire covering their clinical manifestations, environment and lifestyle. The severity of AD was evaluated using the SCORAD index and the factors affecting the severity of the disease were determined. Results: There were statistical differences in the SCORAD index between rural and urban residents (p<0.05). The SCORAD index of the rural residents was higher than that of urban residents. There were statistical differences in the frequency of applying moisturizer in five minutes after bathing between rural and urban residents (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that the management of disease is more important than environmental factors in the severity of atopic dermatitis.