Article Figures & Data
Tables
- Table 1.
Skin Disease Incidence and Prevalence, 2002–2006, per 1,000 Patient-Years, by Age and Sex
Skin Disease Total Male Total Female Total Male 0–4 y Female 0–4 y Male 5–14 y Female 5–14 y Male 15–24 y Female 15–24 y Male 25–44 y Female 25–44 y Male 45–64 y Female 45–64 y Male 65–74 y Female 65–74 y Male ≥75 y Female ≥75 y Note: Use of patient-years is necessary in long-term follow-up research because not every patient under study can be observed for the same period (because of death, for example). Total number of patient-years in the registry is the sum of the observation period for all observed individuals. In this case, each month within the 5-year period a patient could be observed counts for 1/12 patient year in the total number of patient years in the network. Acne vulgaris Incidence 3.2 2.4 4.1 0.4 0.4 5.6 6.6 13.3 17.3 0.9 4.9 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 1.5 0.0 Prevalence 9.6 5.4 13.7 0.4 0.4 7.2 8.6 35.0 66.9 3.0 18.8 0.2 1.7 0.0 0.4 1.5 0.0 Atopic dermatitis Incidence 6.1 6.5 5.7 56.4 40.4 7.4 6.2 2.5 8.4 2.0 2.7 0.9 1.7 0.4 1.1 0.7 0.4 Prevalence 24.8 23.8 25.7 108.9 77.8 49.9 35.0 18.7 40.6 11.9 22.8 7.6 11.0 11.3 18.2 10.4 11.3 Benign neoplasm Incidence 17.5 14.0 20.8 1.2 1.7 2.5 4.4 7.9 16.1 18.4 25.5 19.3 32.1 17.9 23.4 14.2 11.3 Prevalence 17.6 14.0 21.0 1.2 1.7 2.5 4.4 7.9 16.1 18.4 25.5 19.3 32.4 17.9 24.4 14.2 11.3 Chronic ulcer Incidence 2.1 1.7 2.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.3 1.5 1.0 5.0 3.6 18.7 27.9 Prevalence 2.5 2.2 2.8 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.3 1.8 1.0 5.8 3.6 27.6 32.7 Contact dermatitis Incidence 2.5 1.5 3.5 0.4 0.8 1.1 1.3 2.2 7.1 1.8 4.3 1.2 4.0 0.8 2.5 3.7 1.3 Prevalence 4.0 2.2 5.8 0.4 0.8 1.1 1.5 3.2 8.7 2.3 7.0 2.4 7.7 2.9 3.6 3.7 4.4 Corns Incidence 3.9 3.4 4.4 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.7 2.2 2.2 3.9 4.0 4.1 5.5 5.0 8.4 10.4 13.1 Prevalence 4.0 3.4 4.5 0.4 0.0 0.4 0.7 2.2 2.2 3.9 4.2 4.1 5.5 5.0 8.4 10.4 13.1 Dermatitis Incidence 53.9 44.0 63.4 62.7 61.0 31.2 41.0 30.2 65.3 35.0 59.3 45.2 66.5 67.1 82.9 100.7 92.0 Prevalence 64.7 53.4 75.3 64.3 61.4 32.6 43.2 31.5 75.5 42.1 67.0 57.6 84.5 89.6 106.5 147.7 119.9 Diseases of the hair Incidence 1.5 0.8 2.1 0.4 0.0 0.7 1.3 0.6 2.2 1.1 3.3 0.9 2.3 0.0 0.7 0.7 0.9 Prevalence 2.5 1.4 3.7 0.4 0.0 0.9 1.3 0.6 2.2 2.0 4.1 1.8 3.9 0.4 7.6 0.7 6.5 Diseases of the nails Incidence 6.8 6.0 7.5 2.4 3.4 4.7 9.3 13.3 8.7 6.6 7.9 4.8 6.0 5.0 8.0 5.2 10.5 Prevalence 6.8 6.1 7.5 2.4 3.4 4.7 9.3 13.3 8.7 6.7 7.9 5.0 6.0 5.0 8.0 5.2 10.5 Diseases of sebaceous glands and sweat glands Incidence 1.8 1.5 2.1 1.2 0.4 0.4 2.6 2.5 4.3 2.1 2.5 1.2 1.6 1.7 0.7 1.4 0.9 Prevalence 1.9 1.6 2.1 1.2 0.4 0.4 2.6 3.2 4.3 2.2 2.5 1.3 1.6 1.7 0.7 1.4 0.9 Melanoma Incidence 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.6 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.4 Prevalence 1.7 1.0 2.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 2.2 1.7 4.8 2.1 2.5 6.0 5.2 Pruritus Incidence 2.1 1.7 2.4 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.9 0.3 0.9 0.6 2.0 2.4 3.1 3.8 2.2 9.7 10.0 Prevalence 2.2 19 2.5 0.0 0.0 1.1 0.9 0.3 1.2 0.6 2.2 3.0 3.1 4.6 2.2 9.7 10.0 Psoriasis Incidence 1.5 1.3 1.6 0.0 0.4 0.4 0.4 1.9 0.9 1.5 1.9 1.4 2.2 1.7 1.5 2.2 3.1 Prevalence 15.9 15.5 16.4 0.0 0.4 0.9 0.7 3.8 7.7 13.0 12.8 21.0 20.0 46.2 39.3 46.3 51.9 Sebaceous cyst Incidence 10.8 11.2 10.4 0.4 0.4 2.5 0.9 6.7 9.3 15.1 12.4 14.9 13.8 11.3 15.6 17.2 11.8 Prevalence 10.8 11.2 10.4 0.4 0.4 2.5 0.9 6.7 9.3 15.1 12.4 15.0 13.8 11.3 15.6 17.2 11.8 Seborrheic dermatitis Incidence 5.8 5.0 6.5 3.6 7.6 3.8 2.4 3.5 5.6 3.8 6.4 6.3 6.9 9.2 6.2 9.0 13.5 Prevalence 12.9 12.8 13.0 3.6 7.6 5.4 4.0 7.0 9.0 8.9 11.7 17.4 16.7 20.8 14.9 53.7 31.8 Seborrheic keratosis (wart seborrheic) Incidence 7.2 6.2 8.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.3 2.9 3.7 12.2 16.3 14.6 19.3 21.6 18.7 Prevalence 7.2 6.3 8.1 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.3 2.9 3.7 12.2 16.3 15.0 19.3 21.6 18.7 Squamous cell carcinoma Incidence 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.3 2.9 0.4 4.5 1.7 Prevalence 0.6 0.8 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.5 0.0 0.0 0.4 0.5 5.4 0.7 6.0 3.5 - Table 2.
Comparison of Patients Who Visited a Health Care Provider With Those Who Did Not (Student’s t Test)
Contact Family Physician Contact Specialist Contact Alternative Health Practitioner Characteristics Yes (n=417 Mean (SD) No (n=84) Mean (SD) PValue Yes (n=85) Mean (SD) No (n=416) Mean (SD) PValue Yes (n=26) Mean (SD) No (n=475) Mean (SD) PValue DLQI = Dermatological Life Quality Index; ISDL = Impact of Skin Disease on Daily Life. a 0 = male, 1 = female, compared through Pearson’s χ2. b As measured by ISDL, range, 9–36. c Assessed with visual analogue scales: 0 = no itch/pain/fatigue; 10 = worst itch/pain/fatigue ever experienced. d Higher scores indicate lower disease-related quality of life. Age 49.7 (17.5) 49.7 (15.1) NS 50.1 (19.2) 49.6 (16.7) NS 40.3 (13.3) 50.2 (17.1) <.01 Sexa 0.6 (0.5) 0.6 (0.5) NS 0.7 (0.5) 0.6 (0.5) NS 0.8 (0.4) 0.6 (0.5) NS Educational level 4.3 (2.0) 4.2 (2.0) NS 4.2 (2.0) 4.3 (2.0) NS 4.8 (2.0) 4.3 (2.0) NS Disease severityb 12.5 (2.8) 11.2 (2.4) <.01 13.3 (3.3) 12.1 (2.6) <.01 14.0 (3.1) 12.2 (2.7) <.01 Disease duration, years 16.7 (15.6) 17.7 (14.7) NS 15.6 (17.6) 17.1 (15.0) NS 21.3 (14.4) 16.1 (15.5) NS Itchc 3.4 (2.7) 2.0 (2.3) <.01 3.9 (3.0) 3.0 (2.6) <.05 4.8 (2.8) 3.0 (2.6) <.01 Painc 1.6 (2.0) 1.2 (1.7) <.05 1.9 (2.2) 1.5 (1.9) NS 2.7 (2.7) 1.5 (1.9) <.05 Fatiguec 3.2 (2.8) 2.5 (2.6) <.05 3.3 (3.0) 3.1 (2.8) NS 4.3 (2.8) 3.0 (2.8) <.05 DLQId 4.3 (4.9) 2.4 (3.8) <.01 5.6 (5.6) 3.7 (4.5) <.01 10.3 (7.3) 3.7 (4.3) <.01
Additional Files
In Brief
Skin Diseases in Family Medicine: Prevalence and Health Care Use
Elisabeth W. M. Verhoeven , and colleagues
Background This study examines the rate at which skin diseases occur and the use of health care facilities by patients with skin diseases. Data were collected in a network of family practices in the Netherlands with a practice population of 12,000 people.
What This Study Found Skin diseases account for 12% of all diseases seen by family physicians. Most patients' skin diseases are treated by their family physician. Patients with more severe skin disease and a lower quality of life seek more treatment.
Implications
- Paying extra attention to patients� physical and psychosocial conditions might have beneficial consequences for dermatological treatment, for example, by increasing patient satisfaction with and adherence to treatment.
- More research is needed to better understand health care use and the effectiveness of health care facilities in treating specific skin diseases.
