Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is associated with low socioeconomic status (SES): A cross-sectional reference study

Abstract

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic debilitating disease, whereby school attendance and employment can be disturbed. We sought to determine the socioeconomic status (SES) in patients with HS relative to other dermatologic patients, and whether specific clinical HS characteristics correlate with SES. For this multicenter cross-sectional reference study, data were collected from patients with HS and sex- and age-matched dermatologic patients in a 1:2 ratio. SES was derived from the mean household income and real estate value on a neighborhood level. The SES distribution among 1018 patients with HS was significantly lower than among 2039 age- and sex-matched dermatologic control patients (P<.001). In patients with HS a low SES was associated with axillary involvement (odds ratio 1.42, P=.04), high body mass index (odds ratio 1.03, P=.003), and lower age at inclusion (odds ratio 0.98, P=.001), but not with disease severity or age of disease onset. SES was based on postal code level and causality cannot be determined. In the general population, low SES is associated with an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and obesity. Therefore, low SES might be a risk factor for developing HS.