title: Prevalence of common skin diseases and their associated factors among military personnel in Korea: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: This study was conducted to clarify the prevalence of common skin diseases and their associated factors among military personnel in Korea. Four dermatologists visited adjacent military units and examined soldiers. A structured questionnaire that included questions about known skin diseases, demographic information, and questions for the Perceived Stress Index was completed for each participant. The soldiers that had been diagnosed with a skin disease answered one additional questionnaire (Skindex-29) which assess the influence of an individual's skin disease on daily life. Of 1,321 soldiers examined, 798 (60.4%) had one or more skin diseases. The three most common skin problems were acne (35.6%), tinea pedis (15.2%) and atopic dermatitis (5.1%). The diseases closely related to the period of military service were acne, tinea pedis, viral warts and corns. The diseases related to the amount of stress were atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and acne. The most troublesome skin diseases were atopic dermatitis, tinea cruris, and seborrheic dermatitis. These results demonstrated that the prevalence of skin disease among military personnel in Korea is very high, and that some of the skin disorders may have a significant influence on their daily lives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Armed Forces Ildong Hospital, Pocheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Beomman
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.forename: Hongsun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Keun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Hyun Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000152:Acne Vulgaris / Q000453:epidemiology; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014008:Tinea Pedis / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Army; Military Personnel; Prevalence; Skin Disease