Dermatology in public health--a model for surveillance of common skin diseases.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to establish a baseline prevalence of skin conditions of public health importance in the general population and taking the validity of the questions into account. Our model is intended for future surveillance of skin conditions.


METHODS
The suggested questions have for the first time been used in Swedish population surveys. A random sample was taken from the general population aged 16 to 84 years of the participating areas.


RESULTS
During the past 12 months, hand eczema was reported by 9.4%, childhood eczema by 15.7% and nickel allergy by 13.7% of the population. Hand and childhood eczema questions have previously been validated. Taking the validity into account, the actual population prevalence of hand eczema (11.7%) is underestimated, and the prevalence of atopic childhood eczema (10.0%) is overestimated based on the results of the questionnaire. In addition to presenting prevalence, population survey results can be used for risk analyses. A 10-fold risk of hand eczema in individuals with childhood eczema and self-reported nickel sensitivity is shown in our study.


CONCLUSIONS
Questionnaires can be used for epidemiologic surveillance so long as the questions are validated and that the validity is taken into account when estimating the occurrence of the conditions. Public health surveys such as this one lay the basis for future epidemiological surveillance of skin conditions that can be subject to interventions. We propose that these, or similar, questions should be used regularly in population surveys and supplemented by questions on skin exposure.
Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Dermatology & Venereology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. berndt.stenberg@vll.se
Berndt
B
Stenberg
Birgitta
B
Meding
Ake
A
Svensson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004485:Eczema / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009532:Nickel / Q000009:adverse effects; D015995:Prevalence; D011634:Public Health; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
D009532:Nickel