title: Quality of life in patients with scalp psoriasis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to describe the quality of life (QoL) in patients suffering of scalp psoriasis and to assess the impact of the socio-demographic and clinical features of this condition on patients' health-related QoL, using general and specific QoL scales.
  
  
  METHODS
  This research is a cross-sectional study. The study involved 55 patients attending their first examination at the Dermatology Clinic of Padua University over the course of one year (April 2010-March 2011). The outcome was quality of life analyzed by means Scalpdex and SF-36 questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample's mean Scalpdex score was 43.60±17.52, while the mean SF-36 score was 68.28±20.32. The SF-36 identified statistically significant differences between the psoriasis patients and the Italian general population in two domains, i.e. general health (P=0.0075) and emotional role (P=0.0048). The severity of patients' scalp lesions emerged as a factor associated with a reduced QoL in these patients, irrespective of the severity of their disease as a whole. Sex, age, schooling and other socio-demographic factors also characterized patients' perceived QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with scalp psoriasis suffered from a lower QoL relating to the highly visible site of their psoriatic lesions. Specific supportive measures should be dedicated to these patients by health care workers.
authors.affiliation: School of Pediatric Nursing, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy - marco.fusco@studenti.unipd.it.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zampieron
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buja
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Linder
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bortune
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Piaserico
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baldo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000453:epidemiology; D001828:Body Image; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D004644:Emotions; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D062489:Health Impact Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012536:Scalp Dermatoses / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012938:Social Perception; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires