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Half of respondents reported itchy rash lasting more than 3 days
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More than half of survey respondents from six European regions reported experiencing localized, itchy rash that lasted longer than 3 days during their lifetime, according to recent study results.
Luigi Naldi, MD, director of Centro Studi GISED in Bergamo, Italy, and colleagues conducted interviews with 12,377 participants (median age, 43 years; 53.9% women) of the European Dermato-Epidemiology Network Fragrance Study survey from August 2008, to October 2011. Participants were from metropolitan regions in Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany (two regions), Italy and Portugal. A standardized questionnaire was used during the interviews. Age-standardized prevalence rates of itchy rash lasting longer than 3 days at 1 month, 1 year and during the participants’ lifetime were the main outcomes and measures.
Luigi Naldi
During 1 month before interviews, respondents reported a 19.3% prevalence of itchy rash (95% CI, 18.6%-20%). One-year prevalence was 31.8% (95% CI, 31%-32.6%) and lifetime prevalence was 51.7% (95% CI, 50.8%-52.6%). Itchy rash at every time point analyzed was reported by 10.9% of participants (95% CI, 10.5%-11.6%). For patients reporting itchy rash during the prior month, 43.2% (95% CI, 41.2%-45.3%) consulted a physician, while 48.3% (95% CI, 46.7%-49.9%) and 59.4% (95% CI, 58.1%-60.6%) reported such consultations during 1-year and lifetime occurrences, respectively.
Because of reactions, participants avoided products intended to be left on the skin (37%), metals (29.3%), products to be rinsed off except hair dyes (21%), and household products (17.7%). Women reported a higher lifetime avoidance (68.3%) than men (38.9%) for these products.
“Our findings confirmed the magnitude of skin problems among the general population reported in other surveys,” the researchers concluded. “Although itchy rash is a nonspecific manifestation, it may be considered in epidemiological surveys to reflect a constellation of skin conditions and to summarize the burden of these conditions on general health.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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