Do hair care practices affect the acquisition of tinea capitis? A case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the influences of hair-grooming practices and environmental factors as risk factors for the acquisition of tinea capitis (TC) in children.


METHODS
Case-control study comparing children with culture-proved TC with age-, sex-, and race-matched control subjects without scalp disease.


METHODS
A multicenter study involving 3 urban referral centers in the United States.


METHODS
A convenience sample of 66 patients aged 12 years and younger presenting to pediatric dermatology clinics with clinical evidence of TC were enrolled as cases. Matched control subjects (n = 68), without known scalp disease, were enrolled from the outpatient pediatric clinics at the same institutions.


RESULTS
Significant associations with TC in the conditional logistic regression model were a prior history of TC (odds ratio, 3.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-9.43; P =.04) and exposure to TC (odds ratio, 16.32; 95% confidence interval, 3.55-75.16; P =.001). The use of a hair conditioner was statistically significant in the univariable model but not in the multivariable model (odds ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.20-1.08; P =.07). Hairstyling, frequency of washing, use of oils or grease, and other hair care practices were not shown to be associated with the presence of TC.


CONCLUSIONS
Hair-grooming practices do not appear to play a major role in the acquisition of TC. Hair conditioners may be protective in children at risk for TC, but further studies are needed to confirm this finding.
Sharma
V
V
Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gilham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. vsharma@cmh.edu
Silverberg
N B
NB
Howard
R
R
Tran
C T
CT
Laude
T A
TA
Frieden
I J
IJ
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006203:Hair Preparations / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008923:Missouri; D009519:New York City; D012307:Risk Factors; D012495:San Francisco; D014006:Tinea Capitis / Q000209:etiology*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D006203:Hair Preparations