Does visible atopic dermatitis affect quality of life more in women than in men?
BACKGROUND
Studies have suggested that women overreport symptoms in nondermatologic disease. Gender-dependent differences in patients' perception of dermatologic disease are poorly described. The description of possible gender differences in morbidity in a skin disease with comparable prevalence in men and women may therefore provide relevant data.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to examine gender-dependent differences in the self-reported morbidity of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD).


METHODS
Questionnaires from members of the Atopisk Eksem Forening (Danish Association of Atopic Eczema) aged > or = 15 years were analyzed. Data were gathered regarding age, sex, disease duration and severity, and localization of AD, including the results of the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), a quality-of-life questionnaire designed for use in adults (ie, patients aged > or = 15 years).


RESULTS
Questionnaires from 112 patients were analyzed. The final study population comprised 88 females and 24 males; mean age was 35.3 years (range, 15-77 years). For women, a significant positive correlation was found between DLQI score and disease severity (P < 0.001) and also between DLQI score and visible regions affected by disease (P = 0.001); these correlations were not observed in men. For the total number of body regions affected, a significant correlation with severity was found for women (P = 0.001) but not for men. No significant differences between men and women were noted for age, disease duration, overall disease severity, or quality of life as assessed using the DLQI.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported morbidity is highly consistent among women with AD, but not so among men. Normally visible areas of AD appear to affect women significantly more than men.
Holm
Elisabeth A
EA
Roskilde Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark. rselho@ra.dk
Esmann
Solveig
S
Jemec
Gregor B E
GB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires