Abstract
Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, but only few studies involved samples of children and adolescents that are representative of the entire Korean population. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of AD among children and adolescents in Korea by using nationally representative data. Methods We used data from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010 and retrospectively evaluated 2,116 children and adolescents. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between AD and other variables, including IgE levels. Results The prevalence rate of AD in children and adolescents was 15.0%. In the multivariate analysis of ages from 1 to 18 years, age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.96; p < 0.01) was related to AD. From age of 12 to 18 years, smoking (aOR, 8.99; p < 0.01) and elevated total IgE serum level (aOR, 5.31; p < 0.01) were related to AD. Conclusion Age, smoking, and elevated total IgE level were related to AD in the children and adolescents. Thus, an antismoking policy and public education are necessary for reducing the prevalence of allergic diseases. In addition, measurement of total IgE level and age may be helpful in the diagnosis of AD.
Highlights
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic skin disorder in children and is characterized by pruritus and eruption [1, 2]
The prevalence of AD in Korean children and adolescents decreased from 15.2% ± 1.3% in 2007 to 13.0% ± 0.8% in 2009 and remained unchanged at 15.0% ± 1.1% in 2010 (Figure 1 and Table 1)
This study investigated the prevalence of AD and its risk factors among Korean children and adolescents by using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)
Summary
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common chronic skin disorder in children and is characterized by pruritus and eruption [1, 2]. The 2010 ISAAC in South Korea showed that the prevalence of “AD diagnosis, ever” was 35.6% in children aged 6-7 years and 24.2% in adolescents aged 12-13 years [6]. Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease, but only few studies involved samples of children and adolescents that are representative of the entire Korean population. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of AD among children and adolescents in Korea by using nationally representative data. From age of 12 to 18 years, smoking (aOR, 8.99; p < 0.01) and elevated total IgE serum level (aOR, 5.31; p < 0.01) were related to AD. Age, smoking, and elevated total IgE level were related to AD in the children and adolescents. Measurement of total IgE level and age may be helpful in the diagnosis of AD
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
