Prevalence and risk factors of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, and urticaria in China.

Abstract

By searching the database of CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed, the prevalence and risk factors of atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, and urticaria were relatively more investigated, which were the skin diseases of more concern in the current epidemiological study of skin diseases. Three national epidemiologic surveys reported that the prevalence of atopic dermatitis increased from 0.69% in 1998, to 3.07% in 2002, and 12.94% in 2014, respectively. The prevalence of psoriasis increased from 0.123% in 1984 to 0.47% in 2009 according to 2 national surveys. The prevalence of acne was 8.1% in a national investigation in 2008. Representative national prevalence data of urticaria is not available. Risk factors for these skin diseases are distinct. Atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and urticaria are more related to environment and mental stress, while acne is more related to skin type and dietary factors. Owing to the heterogeneities in diagnostic methods used in the dermatoepidemiologic surveys (some of the diagnoses were self-reported) and a lack of follow ups, the reliability of data remained questionable, and the comparability across the surveys was difficult. As a result, it is necessary to conduct population-based cohort studies on skin diseases in China.