The descriptive epidemiology of warts in British schoolchildren.
This study set out to determine the prevalence and predictors of warts in British schoolchildren by analysing medical examination data from a national birth cohort study of 9263 British children born 3-9 March 1958. The prevalence of visible warts, according to a medical officer, at the age of 11 was 3.9% (95% confidence intervals 3.5-4.3) and 4.9% (95% confidence intervals 4.5-5.4) at 16. Of the 364 children noted to have warts at the age of 11,337 (93%) no longer had warts at 16. Residence in the south of Britain, having a father with a non-manual occupation, being an only child, and belonging to an ethnic group other than white European were all associated with a decreased risk of visible warts. Region of residence was the strongest predictor of wart prevalence. There were no sex differences in wart prevalence. Warts represent a common source of morbidity in British schoolchildren. Future studies should take into account age, regional factors, social class, family size and ethnic group when comparing wart sufferers with other subjects.
St John's Institute of Dermatology, St Thomas' Hospital, London, U.K.
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HC
Williams
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Pottier
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Strachan
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D014860:Warts / Q000453:epidemiology*